who stole my cookie?
by RenegadeNinja
Summary: sequel to 'I want my cookie' what happened to Kyoki? and what follows? i know!
1. Chapter 1

**1. Ahhh! First chapter!**

"Is there nothing _green _here? Its all rock!" Karin whined.

"there was some grass back there ,stupid." Suigetsu contradicted her.

"it was dead, and brown!"

"so heal it, almighty bitch. Then it would be _green_." he mocked her whiny tones.

"Jugo? What is it?" Sasuke called when his large figured had paused up ahead of them.

Karin and Suigetsu stopped arguing and looked up towards Jugo.

Jugo didn't reply, instead he took off his Akatsuki cloak and seemed to cover something that was hidden from their view by boulders.

"Jugo! What did you find?" Karin demanded, annoyed.

The tall orange-headed young man headed back to them, carrying something small in his arms, wrapped in his Akatsuki cloak.

Well, it had seemed small, but then again, so did anything compared to Jugo.

When he reached them and they finally got a look at what he was carrying, Karin snorted in disgust.

It was a girl, appearing about 15-16, maybe seventeen years old. She was Unconscious , her hair was a pale golden blonde, but the color was off, as though it had faded from a darker hue. When Suigetsu pulled one of her eyes open in curiosity, they were similar, a very faint blue that seemed to be a faded version of a darker color.

"not bad looking. Better than Karin." Suigetsu commented, inspection finished.

"ugh! This coming from a water-brained idiot!" she snapped.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and grunted, saying nothing more and walking on.

"your going to let Jugo keep her?" Karin demanded/ reprimanded.

Sasuke just kept on walking, Jugo followed, Suigetsu smirked.

/

"Gaara! We've already searched the area a thousand times, we didn't exactly sit and do nothing while you were in the hospital!" Temari yelled at her younger brother, yet again.

"hn."

"And the surrounding area. And the surrounding area of the surrounding area. And our trackers who followed Yukio's trail said there wasn't any trace of Kyoki with them." Kankuro added.

Gaara stopped walking long enough to give Kankuro a cold glare.

"every day for the past two weeks. This isn't good for his health, Kankuro." Temari whispered.

"I know. Its not exactly easy to drag Gaara back to Suna. Especially all the way from river country!"

"what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But Suna needs Gaara back as soon as possible…"

/

Where am I?

It's really dark.

Where am I?

I felt aches all over my body.

My eyes fluttered open.

There's an orange glow to my left, I'm lying on my back and had to turn my head to see it.

The fire is so much prettier than the stone ceiling.

I think I'm in a cave.

"it woke up!" Karin grumbled.

Sasuke grunted but didn't move, obviously in the middle of deep thought, sitting with elbows on knees and hands together, nearly touching his mouth. (trying to describe the position he was in when he was thinking in the manga.)

"Jugo! She woke up!" Suigetsu called from outside the cave.

A few minutes later Jugo entered the cave, having to duck at the entrance.

So far there were four people.

I knew none of them.

Where am I?

Who are they?

Where am I?

My voice wouldn't speak. No matter how much I wanted to ask.

I tried to sit up and got halfway there, struggling, my arms felt numb, my whole body felt numb, and very uncooperative.

Anyway, I got halfway there before my arms wouldn't push me up any farther. I slid back down.

The orange haired guy tilted me up and tried to get me to drink water. It felt cool against my sore throat. He kept whispering something, his voice was kinda calming.

I gurgled once, when I needed to breath but water was still filling my mouth. I gulped and gasped in a breath.

"Can't even drink…" the red-haired girl muttered darkly.

I didn't like her so much.

"so, who are you?" said the white haired guy. He had the oddest teal eyes.(or should they be purple? When I look it up its always 50/50 between the two.) Kinda pretty.

I think I would have liked them better if they were green.

Why would I have like them better if they were green?

who am I?

What's my name?

Who am I?

I don't remember.

I can't remember.

Who am I?

"hey! You deaf?" he asked.

I looked back up at him, mouth barely open, and gave him an empty stare, blinking a few times.

He tilted his head in confusion.

He's kinda gaping at me like I'm stupid. His teeth are all pointy and one of them is always poking over his lip a bit.

Am I stupid?

If I'm stupid then I want a cookie!

Why do I want a cookie?

Jugo put a hand under my chin and tilted my head in his direction, I gave him the same look, blinking a few times.

I like his eyes, they're warm.

"Congratulations Jugo, you picked up a retard." Karin remarked snidely.

I frowned and looked down, wondering what she meant.

Then I wrapped the cloak around me tighter because I noticed it was the only thing I had on.

"who are you?" a new voice spoke up.

I looked over into red eyes and everything went black.

Well actually everything went white.

I was standing in a vast open whiteness facing Sasuke, his eyes swirling with the red sharingan.

**Who are you? **He asked.

_Who am I?_

**What is your name, where are you from?**

_I don't…know…I don't remember._

I felt a pain in my head but couldn't move, I stood frozen there as nothingness whirled around. **Blank. Your entire mind is blank. Well, there almost something….but….even I can't see it.**

_Almost something?_

**Almost memories. But they don't form anything, they're just spots of color in the blank.**

…_.._

**You are completely useless.**

_Use-less…._

The world dissolved back together and I was back sitting in the cave with the others. I looked at Sasuke and his eyes had returned to their original color.

"so?" Karin asked, aware that Sasuke had used the sharingan eye on me.

"hn"

I smiled at his grunt.

Why did I smile?

"you can't honestly be thinking of letting her _stay_?"

He glanced at her and then went back into his thinking posture.

"Ugh!" Karin stormed out of the cave only to come back in a moment later because it was wet outside, not to mention freezing cold.

She glared daggers in my direction.

" upset that now there is absolutely no chance of you getting Sasuke? Not that there ever was…." Suigetsu teased.

They started arguing but I tuned them out, looking back at Jugo, who stayed quiet.

"Aani…." he whispered.

I tilted my head, thinking it was a name. I didn't know what it meant.

Was it my name?


	2. Chapter 2!

**2. **

I don't remember falling asleep.

I remember waking up when something heavy hit me.

I opened my eyes to see Suigetsu, poking me awake with his sword, the wide blade barely a foot from my head.

"we're leaving. I suggest you hurry up." he said as he dragged me up. Not that I had a choice.

I clutched the cloak around me and followed him, the cold ground stealing the warmth from my bare feet.

When we caught up to the rest of them Karin not so discreetly tried to trip me, but I merely stumbled a bit before clinging to Suigetsu's back for balance.

"hey! What are you doing?"

I let go and lowered my head apologetically before speeding up to walk next to Jugo. I padded quietly beside him.

"Aani…"

I looked up at him.

He smiled.

I guess Aani is my name now.

/

"thank you." Temari said yet again.

"his wound is fully healed, he shouldn't have even been out of the hospital." Mika replied.

"is not exactly easy to control Gaara. I'm just glad you were able to bring him back."

"why does he listen to you?" Kankuro asked.

"Because I was Kyoki's friend."

" you mean you are Kyoki's friend." Temari corrected.

" she's gone" Mika sighed.

" there wasn't actually anything to prove that she's dead. Neither you or Gaara saw anything, and Yukio hasn't been caught yet. But information says she's not with him."

"were else would she be?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't you be resting as well? Your wound isn't healed yet either."

Mika looked at her sheepishly and headed back to her hospital room. Temari and Kankuro went to visit Gaara, who was now under the influence of sedatives and sleeping peacefully.

/

"She's so slow! Just leave her!" Karin complained loudly.

I had fallen behind again, I couldn't help it, my feet were numb from cold.

"can we leave Karin behind instead, I like Aani better! She's quiet." Suigetsu groaned.

"Jugo, she's your problem." that's all Sasuke would say, cas I'm useless to him. Jugo turned around and finally realized I wasn't at his side anymore, he had been looking around at the rocky landscape.

He stopped and waited for me and I jogged to catch up but I couldn't feel my feet and tripped, sprawling on the ground.

I tried to push myself up but Suigetsu yanked me up by the collar of the oversized cloak I was wearing and tossed me over his shoulder.

His teeth are really sharp looking.

Should I be afraid that he'll bite me?

"she's really light. Compared to her Karin is fat." he commented.

"Shut up you leech!" Karin spat, readjusting her glasses.

"you two shouldn't yell so much." Jugo commented absently.

"hurry up." Sasuke ordered, now walking away ahead of us.

The handle of Suigetsu's sword was pushing into my side but I didn't complain, at least I didn't have to walk anymore.

I'm really hungry though.

I want a cookie.

/

"Um, where is Gaara?" Kankuro asked, shaking Temari awake.

"uh? Huh?"

"redhead. Green eyes. You might recognize him. He's Missing."

"crap!" Temari stumbled up and out of the room, still groggy from sleep.

They checked Mika's room first, he wasn't in there, but neither was she.

"how do we lose two people with serious holes in their bodies? They shouldn't be able to get away so easily!"

"if they went outside I'm gonna be upset. It rains few times a year and tonight just happens to be one of the rainy ones." Kankuro complained.

"he's trying to push us into early graves." Temari added.

Low and behold were did they find Gaara?

Out on the balcony.

In the rain.

Soaking wet.

With that look of deep thought on his face.

His red hair looked the color of blood when wet and he looked unusually pale, more so than usual.

He wasn't wearing a shirt, and at that point probably didn't need to for all the bandages wrapped around his torso. Rainy wet bandages could not be good for a recovering body.

Or a hole in some ones chest that ought not be there.

"bro, its wet." Kankuro stated the obvious.

" really wet." Temari continued.

"and cold. And like, night."

There was no response for awhile, Gaara just stood there, back to them, staring at the sky.

"hn."

He finally turned around and issued them a blank glare. Pushing between them he went back into the hospital.

"he's back to his old self….I think." they whispered.

"yeah, but is that a good thing or a bad thing?"


	3. Chapter 3

**3.**

We finally caught sight of a little village nested in the rock.

"we'll stay at a hotel for tonight, and take off again in the morning. Madara wants us back as soon as possible." Sasuke informed us. Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu nodded and took off in all different directions. I was still on Suigetsu's shoulder.

I tapped his head. his hair is surprisingly soft.

"eh?" he turned his head a bit and then remembered I was there. Shrugging my off he steadied me before grabbing my chin in his hand like one would a toddler.

"stay by me or Jugo if you want to stay live. The other two don't care if you live or die, well, I don't really either but I won't just leave you." he blinked a couple of times until I nodded my head.

Then he patted me on the head and kept walking.

Did he think of me like I was a child?

I followed him into a ramen stand and gladly shoveled down a bowl or two of ramen, earning me a questioning look from Suigetsu.

I was starving.

I didn't know why I was so hungry but I felt like I hadn't eaten in forever.

My stomach agreed.

Jugo found us a few minutes later and I left with him when he motioned for me to follow him.

He was tall and hard to lose, but I clung to his sleeve because I was small and very easy to lose.

Walking became awkward after awhile, I was wincing at the bitter cold with each step and nearly hopping from one foot to the other when he led me into a small shop.

The clerk looked alarmed when he first caught sight of Jugo, but quickly hid his expression.

I'd be dismayed too if I were him, I doubt he had any cloths that would fit Jugo.

"How may I help you, sir?" the clerk asked.

Jugo lifted the arm I was clinging to a bit and pointed at me.

"she needs cloths. And shoes."

The clerk visibly looked relieved, like, instantly. Then preceded to give me a very scrutinizing look.

I could only imagine what he saw, a very thin, sickly pale girl with a dust streaked face and messy long hair, very dirty bare feet and not a stitch on her except for an oversized cloak that had been made for Jugo, who was many times my size. The clerk looked upset again.

I smiled weakly, but apparently that didn't help.

"um…." the clerk started.

Me and Jugo gave him very blank looks.

" for a bit more money….. I could just give her a complete makeover, I actually think that would be easier at this point." he said lamely.

Jugo looked from me to the clerk and back again.

Then he reached for the little bag of money that was in his pocket and counted through it.

"I could give you a discount…" the clerk added. Was he scared of Jugo or do I really look that bad to him?

Jugo looked at me and the clerk again, indecisive.

I looked up at him and the three of us just stood there for awhile before Jugo finally handed the bag to the clerk, who then looked elated an gave me another scrutinizing look before leading me into a back room.

/

"welcome back lord Kazekage!" said yet another ANBU officer, each of them looking relieved.

Gaara's face was blank but he was beginning to get annoyed.

As if a single one of them hadn't checked on him in the hospital at some time or another. When he finally got to his office he almost growled when nearly immediately two council members walked in.

"greetings Kazekage."

"hn"

They frowned at the same time. Both of them had wispy white hair and a little extra weight around the midsection, both wearing the traditional garb of councilman.

"the council is pleased to hear of your recovery."

Gaara gave them a hard stare, wishing they would get to the point and quit wasting his time. He wasn't happy to see them in the first place.

"chm chhm, yes, uh, has there been any sign of the Kichi child?" the one on the left asked.

He was lucky Gaara didn't rip his head off.

Another angry look from Gaara.

"eh, no then. Well, on to other matters, one of the wells is running dry and we need to plan for a new well to replace it soon…."

"He has the paperwork on it." Mika said, coming out of a shadow in the hallway and walking into the room.

"who are yo-" the one on the right started only to e cut off by Gaara.

"Mika." Gaara greeted. Its as warm as he got nowadays.

"Gaara. I was coming to talk to you, I have the new reports from the hospital, got them early." she greeted in kind, ignoring the councilmen.

Even while he was in the hospital Gaara wasn't idle, he still checked on the worst injured from Yukio's massacre of the village and always wanted updates.

"oh, your that child that went with Kazekage and the Kichi child after Yukio."

"Kyoki. Her name is Kyoki and yes." Mika replied coldly.

Neither of them liked the council very much. Or at all.

"I still believe a more talented shinobi should have accompanied them, then perhaps our Kazekage wouldn't have suffered so grave an injury."

"And I believe its time for you to leave." Gaara growled, startling the councilmen, who then followed his advice very effectively, shutting the door behind them.

"The reports?" Gaara asked.

Mika handed them over.

It was quiet for awhile as Gaara looked through them, the rustling of papers the only sound until a soft knock came from the door.

"enter." Gaara sighed.

A little boy pushed the door open, dressed in plain brown cloths and blue robes, he had short black hair that was parted where bandages wrapped around his head to cover his left eye, the other eye a bright, clear blue that looked rather sleepy…no…weary.

Gaara raised an eyebrow.

"M-my name is H-Haku…" he started nervously.

/

It took forever but the clerk and his assistants finally declared that I was presentable, whatever that was suppose to mean, but anyway, they finally let me see myself then pushed me out the door for Jugo to see, from their whispers I think they assumed he was my boyfriend or something.

I walked out, almost surprised to see that Jugo was indeed still here, I expected that he would have left after the first hour of waiting, but no, he was still here, and so was Suigetsu.

They turned my way when the door banged shut behind me.

I knew what they would see this time.

I had been scrubbed clean so I didn't look like a street urchin anymore. They had cut my hair to several inches longer than shoulder length, and clean it looked even paler, and pulled it back into a wavy, almost curly ponytail, tied with a ribbon, then longer portions of my bangs were parted to either side of my face, giving it a wavy frame, with shorter bangs across my forehead.

I was wearing a white tank-top under and ice-blue mini-vest-thing that matched my ribbon in looking like a brighter hue of my eyes. Then I had on black cargo-pant-shorts-like-things that went down to just below my knees and tied off, then for shoes I had on something like a sandal, they had a thick band over my foot then the sole had a slight heel and another band that wrapped around my ankle. (author note: her shoes are like Hinata's in shippuden) the shoes were the same blue as my vest and ribbon, with a black sole.

Suigetsu whistled and Jugo murmured something I couldn't hear.

"isn't she marvelous?" the clerk beamed.

"put this on." Suigetsu pushed something into my hands. I held it up before putting it on, it was a long black cloak with a hood. I put it on.

"your going to cover up my masterpiece?" the clerk sounded alarmed and rubbed the small pouch full of coins that Jugo paid him with nervously before tying it to his own belt.

He shut up after he got what I'll assume was an irritated look from Suigetsu. When Suigetsu reached for Jugo's Akatsuki cloak that the clerk had put on the counter he bumped the guy rather hard, enough to knock him unsteady.

That or the clerk was just a weakling.

Handing the cloak back to Jugo, who shrugged it on, we all walked out of the shop.

Once back in the street Suigetsu tossed the little pouch of coins at Jugo. It was the money he had paid the clerk.

"don't spend what you don't need to." Suigetsu grinned, his pointed teeth somehow fit him very well.

When we got to the hotel Suigetsu shoved the door open, it banged against the wall.

Karin sprang away from Sasuke on the couch and shoved her glasses on her face.

"Suigetsu did you bring some whore back here?" she shrieked angrily.

"no-"

"wasting money, your so-"

"it's Aani." Jugo said loudly, his voice quieting their arguing.

Karin gaped at me rudely.

I just stared and blinked blankly.

She snapped her mouth shut and crossed her arms, glaring at me.

Sasuke paid us no attention.


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

We left that town in the morning, just before dawn when the sky was gray with twilight.

I was glad to have shoes to protect my feet from the cold ground. It made me so much happier. And the hood of my cloak prevented me from seeing the ugly looks Karin was shooting my direction.

It was hours before the rocky landscape began to be dotted with vegetation, and as we continued so did the amount of vegetation until we came up to a wide forest, as far as I could see in either direction.

"finally! No more of that endless boring rock!" Karin remarked.

"glad to see _green_?" Suigetsu asked sarcastically.

"Shut up." Sasuke ordered.

All eyes went his direction.

"we just crossed the border, look out for ninja scouts."

Everyone took off, leaving me with Sasuke.

He wasn't mean or anything, well ,not directly, but for some reason I disliked the guy. But since I'm the smart person that I am I kept my dislike of him under wraps. We walked in silence for half an hour before the breath of someone alerted me that we weren't alone anymore. Sasuke didn't seem to notice for several minutes until a more audible rustle of leaves sounded at our left.

His hand a blur he threw a Kunai in the direction of the sound, almost immediately another kunai shot out towards us, followed by the sender with another in his hand.

/

The next day Haku showed up at Gaara's office again, and Gaara let him stay and help out. Partly because he wanted to keep the kid around, partly because it was easier to make Haku run around with messages than delivering them himself or having Haku deliver the finished paperwork than doing it himself.

Gaara's wound had began to irritate him recently, and his mood was getting worse with each day that passed without news of Kyoki or Yukio's capture.

Last night hadn't helped, he'd gotten soaked when the channel over which they were building the new well burst and quickly flooded the area, creating a near quick-sand like effect because those who got caught in it were stuck. Gaara being one of them since he had been observing the work. He had also used an excess amount of chakra to get the situation under control.

That incident alone resulted in another pile of paperwork.

Mika didn't visit today, she had gone to meet with their informant on the situation about Yukio.

"Kazekage….Kazekage?" Haku said for about the seventh time, Gaara finally hearing.

"yes?" he asked, irritated at everything, including himself.

"th-the memorial service is tomorrow…. For those who died in the ….. Yukio attack….." Haku faltered nervously, knowing that this was a touchy subject with Gaara.

"and…um…..the council….needs you to go over the final details." he finished.

Gaara sighed and added the stack of folders that Haku gave him to the already large pile on his desk.

"um…Kazekage? Did you love her?" Haku asked boldly, and this time it was his frame that shook nervously instead of his voice.

Gaara looked him strait in the eye.

"Yes…" he whispered.

/

The minute the ninjas eyes met with Sasuke's he froze. I don't know why but he just stood completely still for an entire minute, I had no clue what was going on, when he finally moved again he gasped and clutched at his stomach. He hadn't even straitened up fully before Sasuke drove a Kunai into his heart.

I winced.

Sasuke stepped over the body and kept on walking.

I followed.

When the others met up with us the total number of enemies disposed of was three, enough for one scouting cell.

We moved on.


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

It was two days before we found another village. Most oof the time we spent walking, half the time Karin and Suigetsu were arguing. Jugo talked to birds and I watched him, it was fascinating how Kind he was, considering the company he kept. I wondered why he was with them.

At one point I caught a mouse and handed the little twitching creature to Jugo, he held it in the palm of his hand and petted it for awhile, sometime murmuring to it, his voice was always too low for me to hear. After awhile he set it down in the roots of a tree.

In the evenings when we settled down to camp for the night Suigetsu would practice with his sword, he let me hold it once and I learned that he must be extremely strong because that thing is heavy.

Like, seriously heavy.

I couldn't even lift it off the ground.

Karin pushed me into a stream when we stopped to refill our canteens. Suigetsu had to fish me out and the weirdest thing happened. It was like the water pushed me up onto the bank only it kept following and forming into Suigetsu as it went, well, it _was_ Suigetsu, but still, that's just weird.

The next two hours were extremely cold.

I shivered and my teeth wouldn't stop chattering no matter how many times Karin ordered me to be quiet.

After the first day I got bored of just plain walking so I started skipping.

I wasn't paying attention to anything, just skipping.

Then I started alternating between skipping and playing an endless hopscotch.

Even Sasuke started giving me weird looks after three hours.

Then I started alternating the other two with pretend jump rope.

When we finally got to a village Karin tripped me, so I stopped skipping and started paying attention again.

"how the hell could you keep going on like that for nine hours?" Suigetsu asked me like I was the well of unending weirdness and hyperactive energy.

I shrugged and he got irritated with me.

My legs kinda hurt.

Maybe it was the pretend jump rope?

We all stopped to eat and the place gave us cookies after the meal so I was really happy.

I clapped my hands together and beamed happiness towards the ceiling I was so happy.

When I looked down my cookie was gone.

Who stole my cookie?

/

The entire village showed up for the service. Those who died in the Yukio attack had their own headstone specifically for them. The number of names engraved into that headstone were enough to make anyone cry. The entire village of Suna did, except Gaara, because he isn't allowed to cry. And the few attending from Konoha cried as well.

A wave of black dressed people left their gifts and prayers on that headstone. Gaara and his siblings were the last to leave.

As Kazekage Gaara bore this pain the most.

It was his duty to be there when his people needed him. And when they needed him the most, he wasn't there.

The worst thing was, no one had blamed him for it.

Back at home, after the service, Temari cried for an entire different reason. She had been cleaning Gaara's room and when putting a book back into a drawer when she found it.

The small mini-sand Gaara, safe in a little box.

/

We checked into a hotel again, only this time it had a public bath.

I hadn't had a bath since Karin pushed me into the stream, and technically that wasn't a bath.

So when Karin started giving me death glares I decided I would rather go sit in warm water instead.

When isn't Karin giving me death glares?

I sighed as I sank into the almost-too-hot water, it felt great on my poor abused feet.

I sat up against the side and leaned my head back, relaxing, humming a bit.

I have no idea what song I was humming, it didn't really have words…..or a tune.

I swirled my hands around in the water for no reason, just playing with the bubbles.

Bubbles, soft, tickly little bubbles.

I got the feeling I was being stared at.

Like, creepily stared at.

I'm not sure I want to open my eyes.

I did anyway.

At first I didn't see anything.

Then I noticed a pair of golden eyes in the wall.

Watching me.

Creepily.

I think they were arguing with themselves.

"she sees us."

"how do you know."

"she's looking at us."

"oh."

"can we eat her?"

"no."

"why?"

" she belongs to Sasuke."

"no, she belongs to Jugo."

"do you really want to piss off Jugo?"

"….no."

A head appeared now, it seemed to pull out of the wall and form, it also had a Venus-flytrap-looking thing around it's head.

I think its male, but it's like split down the middle and different colors.

Weird.

Now that his entire body was no longer a part of the wall he walked over and crouched over me.

He was wearing an cloak with red clouds.

Was he a part of our group?

I couldn't help myself.

I reached out and touched the Venus flytrap part.

He jumped back like a foot.

"is she not afraid?"

"she should be afraid."

"we could eat her."

"she's Jugo's."

"we're faster than Jugo."

"…"

"I'm hungry!"

I just stared at him as he argued with himself.

The rice-paper door to the girls bath slid open and two women walked in, saw the guy, screamed and ran away.

"we were seen."

"Madara won't be happy."

"Madara doesn't have to know."

"we should leave."

"we should."

Hey! He agreed with himself.

What's he doing? He sank into the floor in a similar manner as when he pulled out of the wall.

What a weird person.

I heard footsteps and looked up to see two more guys run in, dripping wet and wrapped in towels, obviously they came running from the men's bath when the girls had screamed.

One was wielding an umbrella and had upside down triangles on his cheeks, a large dog stuck its head out from between the guys, the other guy was wearing sunglasses.

How the dog got in I don't know.

"what happened?" the guy with the umbrella asked.

"were is Hinata? The other asked.

I shrugged to both questions and they kinda stood there stupidly until the dog sniffed the air and shot out, knocking them over and splashing in the bath as it made its way towards me.

"Akamaru! Come back!"

Akamaru was busy licking my face, thank-you-very-much. *mental sarcasm*

"what's going on?" asked a girl as she came up behind them, dressed in a bathrobe. She had white eyes and really long hair.

"Kiba, Shino, why are you in the girls bath?" she added.

I scratched the dog behind the ears and tried to push him off me with no success, a person as small as me had no hope against a dog that big.

"we heard screams and…uh…. Did you scream?" Kiba asked me.

I shook my head and tried to use my feet to push Akamaru away.

No success.

"do we know you? Your chakra seems familiar." Shino asked.

Again I shook my head no.

The girl looked at me with her strange eyes and I smiled, she reminded me of Blink.

Who's Blink?

"Kiba, Akamaru is in the bath." Hinata stated the obvious.

"Akamaru!"

The dog whined and finally went back to Kiba.

"uh….sorry." he mumbled and pushed Shino out of the room, following him. The dog whined again but left too.

"hi." Hinata waved.

I waved back.


	6. Chapter 6

**6.**

It took nearly another week of traveling before Sasuke finally ordered us to stop.

In the middle of nowhere.

I looked around again.

Yup, definitely in the middle of nowhere.

Sasuke was beginning to look rather impatient.

Increasingly impatient.

I hid behind Jugo cas if looks could kill…..

EEK! The man-plant-flytrap thing came out of the ground and started talking to Sasuke.

Jugo looked over his shoulder and down at me because I was clinging to him.

"are you scared?" he asked.

I shook my head no and let go of the back of his cloak.

"lets go." Sasuke ordered once the man-plant-flytrap thing left.

Hey were did that entrance come from?

/

Haku had been coming into Gaara's office every day for the past week and now it seemed that he was Gaara's untitled helper.

As a matter of fact when Temari went to find Gaara today she found Haku at his desk doing his paperwork instead.

"where's Gaara and why are you doing his job?" she asked.

"these aren't the important files, just simple stuff that needs to be checked through so the Kazekage knows what's what." Haku relied.

"n-hn. You didn't answer my other question. Also, you didn't stutter for once."

"yeah, my stutter has gotten better." he beamed.

"still avoiding my question. Where is Gaara?"

"u-uh…"

In the hospital at the same time:

"Hey Kankuro!" Mika greeted.

"hey, Mika. How is- why do you smell like cookies?" he asked.

"Stole them from a tired red-head, want one?"

/

Under ground gives me the heebie-jeebies.

So does following a plant-person, named Zetsu.

Who stared at me while I was in a public bath. At least the mineral water was too murky to see through.

Don't like how creepy it is down here though.

Or tight spaced.

I would have been more comfortable if it was sand around me instead of rock.

Why would I have been more comfortable with sand?

"ah, Sasuke. Your back." someone greeted when the hallway opened up into a cavern.

He was wearing an orange twisty mask that only had one eye-socket.

Was he missing the other eye or something?

I'm being stared at by the plant-guy again!

I stared back at him and we sat like that for a few minutes. There was an unnatural hue to his eyes that unnerved me.

I really didn't like this guy.

Well, I didn't like his eyes anyway. Or his creepy mannerisms.

"- of money." I started paying attention again when I heard the word money.

Sasuke nodded and ordered the three of us to come with him, leaving Karin behind.

"why are we leaving Karin behind?" Suigetsu asked.

"I have no use for her, besides, I thought you wanted to leave her behind?" Sasuke replied coldly.

I shivered.

Sasuke once told me I was useless to him.

Would he one day leave me behind as well?

I reached out and grabbed Jugo's sleeve again.

/

**Authors note: **Ahhh!, I realized I messed up the time-line because by the time Jugo found me Karin would have been in Konoha after the battle of the Kage's in the land of iron, Aani/Kyoki was making mini-sand Gaara when that happened! Epic fan-fic fail.


	7. Chapter 7

**7.**

"hey Sasuke! What are we doing now?" Suigetsu whined.

"we're gathering information on the nine-tails. In Konoha."

"wasn't he like, in your team or something?"

" I said on the nine tails. Not on Naruto, the blonde himself is an idiot."

Tails.

Nine-tails.

One tail.

"oh. Won't they know who you are if you go into Konoha? They've seen all of us."

"I have a plan, and Suigetsu-"

"yes?"

"shut up."

Suigetsu made a dangerous face towards the back of Sasuke's head but followed his orders.

The breeze picked up and caught in my cloak, the fabric dancing out in the wind, strands of my hair tugging away from my face. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"what are you so happy about?" Suigetsu asked.

/

The doctor nearly ran from the room, once safely outside, he sighed.

"you would think a person that badly wounded wouldn't be so active."

"what'd he do?" Temari asked, making the doctor jump.

"that hole in his chest has too much swelling, he needs to take it easy for awhile, I told him as much and he nearly killed me!"

"Kazekage doesn't have time to take it easy."

The doctor sighed again.

Temari brushed past him and went into Gaara's hospital room, finding the room empty and the window wide open.

It was her turn to sigh.

Back at Gaara's office.

_CLATTER!_

Haku yelped and spun around.

Gaara was climbing in the window, held aloft on the other side by a hovering platform of sand.

"how was t-the appointment?" Haku asked.

"hn" Gaara grunted and messed with his robes, sighing.

"What wrong?"

"no shirt. Must have left it at the hospital."

He looked like he was wearing a white shirt under his robes at first glance, but looking closer Haku noticed that it was just the bandages wrapped around Gaara's torso.

"um, Kazekage. Lady Tsunade has …. Um…requested a meeting at Konoha. Will you go?"

"hn. Yes. Tell her I'll arrive at Konoha in four days."

"so soon…but y-your chest….."

Gaara glared at him and Haku shrunk back.

He sighed and was about to leave when Temari walked in, shirt in one hand, hospital reports in the other.

/

Suigetsu made up a new game.

He holds his sword sideways and makes me stand on it. When he makes it bounce I have to jump and he'll swing the sword around in a circle over my head and back under my feet before I hit the ground.

I'm really glad Suigetsu is really good with his sword.

Or I might lose my feet.

Or my head.

"Suigetsu, Enough." Sasuke ordered.

Suigetsu let me get down and then he went off to clean his blade.

Well, he didn't let me get off, he kinda flipped me off.

It was kinda fun except for when I hit the ground, right shoulder first.

I sat up and rubbed my bruised shoulder, looking around.

Where was Jugo?

My Gaze fell on Sasuke and I stared at him for awhile, till he turned his head and looked back at me.

His aura was….dying. Rotting. He was becoming something dark and corrupt. He was losing his inner light so fast, I felt it shrink day by day. Maybe rotting is the wrong thing to say. It's more like breaking. His soul is breaking and his sadness is fueling a burning rage that will one day consume him entirely.

Poor Sasuke.

I didn't like feeling his aura, it made me sad. I liked Jugo's, it was Kind, sometimes a red-orange madness would creep into his aura and deteriorate it, but it usually disappeared before it got to big.

Oddly enough when I felt for Suigetsu's aura, it was happy-ish, I liked his aura too, he felt happy and …..ambitious?

My lids drooped and I got up and walked over to my sleeping bag, carefully laying down so as not to hurt my shoulder, and relaxed, allowing my body to sleep. And heal.

Thank you so much for reviewing! I love reviews! And thank you for adding this story to favorites!


	8. Chapter 8

8.

**Sand. Sky. Sunset. Red. Strawberries. Blood. A samurai sword. Cookies. Green. Green eyes?**

**I woke up from my dream drenched in sweat. The entire dream had been just random images, random colors, and none of them made any sense.**

**I'd had the same dream for the past three days on our way to Konoha. Always the same incoherent images jumbled together, thrumming in my head.**

"**that's the plan? She can't even talk!"**

"**that why I ordered Jugo to retrieve the snake."**

"**what's a dumb reptile got to do with it?"**

"**Suigetsu, shut up."**

**Suigetsu fumed at Sasuke and stomped off, shooting an unhappy glare in my direction now that I was sitting up.**

"**Jugo, the snake."**

**Now that Sasuke mentioned him I looked at Jugo, and the snake in question. The snake was no thicker than an inch at any given point, and was about two feet in length, the color was a soft green, with darker green shading along the top and a lighter green along the belly, it also had a thin pale stripe on each side. I caught sight of pale golden eyes as it tilted its head.**

**Pretty.**

**It hissed at Sasuke when he tried to grab it the first time. Sasuke glared at it and it didn't hiss again.**

**He picked it up and tilted its head so he could look into its eye, his own began to whirl with the red shrarigran.**

**A Sasuke blinked and his shrarigran changed.**

**A moment later he handed the snake to me, looking it over I saw that while the right eye remained a pale gold, the left eye had turned red, however it was missing the shrarigran symbol, it was still red.**

**It hissed at me.**

**I blew in its face.**

**It flattened in my hand and flared its tongue.**

**I stroked the back of its head calmly and it bent into my hand, apparently accepting me.**

**I have a friend.**

**I looked back up to Sasuke and Jugo.**

"**Don't lose it." Sasuke growled.**

**I noticed that while Sasuke's right eye had gone back to normal, while his left looked like the snakes, red without shrarigran.**

**He continued watching me until I nodded my head.**

**I think Sasuke is kinda creepy.**

**/**

"**so, why did we bring the brat with us?" Kankuro asked for the hundredth time.**

**And for the hundredth time Gaara replied him with a glare.**

**While Haku put Temari between himself and Kankuro.**

"**ah, Kazekage, welcome to Konoha!" a random ninja greeted them as the entered the village. Gaara took papers from Haku and handed them to the ninja, who took off.**

" **I have to go see the Hokage, you two… hn." Gaara informed them.**

**His siblings frowned and Haku looked confused for a moment, but when the group split up he followed Gaara.**

**When they reached the Hokage's office they were greeted by Sakura, who bumped into them as she was leaving.**

" **Kazekage Gaara, long time n see!" she beamed.**

"**hn."**

**Sakura spotted Haku behind Gaara.**

"**who's this?" she asked, unfazed by his non-committed response.**

"**I'm H-Haku." he replied nervously.**

"**Nice to meet 'chya! Oh, and where is Kyoki?" she beamed. Even as she said it Haku had guessed whose name she was about to say and immediately paled. The council hadn't let certain information leave Suna.**

**Gaara's expression darkened and he pushed passed Sakura, ignoring her completely now.**

**Her own expression fell.**

"**what happened?" she mouthed to Haku.**

**He looked down, saddened, and followed Gaara into the Hokage's office, leaving Sakura behind.**

"**oh, Gaara, Glad you could get here so quickly….. I have some matters to discuss with you…"**

**/**

**I walked into Konoha alone, wide eyed and gaping, the snake draped around my neck.**

**Konoha was so big!**

**Sasuke had told me to find ninja's, but I hadn't really been paying attention to the specifics of what he said, so I took to wandering around aimlessly.**

**My stomach growled after awhile and I caught the scent of ramen, following it to a small Ramen shop.**

**I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, stepping forward only to bump into someone.**

**I opened my eyes and looked up.**

**Oh look a leaf ninja headband!**

"**hey, watch it!" He growled.**

**I looked down and pouted.**

**His eyes were like the girls who I had met at the bath, what was her name? Hinata?**

**He peered at me and shrugged.**

"**Neji! Youthful partner!" a green creature called from a table.**

**Neji stopped looking at me and walked over to his friends. they also had ninja headbands.**

**I followed him.**

**He spotted me following when he turned to sit down and fixed a glare at me.**

"**what?" he growled.**

**I just looked at him blankly.**

**He gave an irritated groan and ignored me.**

"**Who is this?" asked the green thing.**

**Blink shrugged. I think the name Blink fit him well.**

"**well then, sit by me! I'm Rock Lee, and this is Ten-Ten. " the green thing offered.**

**I went to sit next to him only to have the snake lift its head and hiss, I jumped back away from the table, startled and a little bit worried.**

**Blink frowned.**

"**what is that?" he asked.**

**I looked at him and blinked a few times.**

"**can she not talk or something?" the girl asked.**

"**don't ask me, Ten-Ten, I don't even know her." Blink replied.**

"**hey, aren't those sand ninja?" Rock lee asked, pointing to the entrance of the shop.**

**Hearing the word sand I immediately swiveled around, looking.**

**It was a guy and a girl, both with sand headbands.**

"**maybe the Kazekage is visiting?" Ten-Ten asked.**

**I walked away, towards the sand ninja, only when I got close, the snake around my neck tightened and hissed.**

"**hey, I thought you were going to sit by me?" Rock lee whined.**

**I turned back and forth, and, confused, I left the shop, still hungry.**

**Sasuke hadn't given me any money.**


	9. Chapter 9

**9.**

I had wandered around for a few hours after that, and the snake only seemed to get more and more irritable, until it got to the point were it would hiss at me if a got within ten feet of somebody. I eventually ended up at the edge of the village, were the snake slithered down my arm and dropped to the ground, slithering away.

Panicking about losing it I tried to follow, only to lose it for about half and hour, then it found its way back to me, a distinguished lump in the middle of its body that hadn't been there earlier.

I guess it was hungry too.

This time it crawled into one of the large pockets on my pants and settled down, maybe it was sleeping.

I realized then that I was lost.

I was in a village I had never been in before and I had been guided by a snake to some remote area were normal people would go.

After walking a bit I only seemed to get deeper into the trees and farther from the village.

I kinda panicked for no apparent reason then and started running back towards were I thought the village should be. I ran through a stand of trees and through a small clearing, and just as I was passing a large, old tree I tripped over something, sprawling out, face in the dirt and a sharp, throbbing pain in my wrist.

"nn. Watch were your going would you? So troublesome."

/

Gaara walked into the ramen stand just as Kankuro and Temari were leaving.

"oh, sorry bro, you took to long and-" Kankuro stopped when he noticed Gaara's expression.

"Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked cautiously.

"u-um, we met someone who knew …. Kyoki and um….. Well, the council was very cautious about certain information and well…." Haku trailed off nervously, trying his best not to deteriorate Gaara's mood further.

"no one else knows." Temari concluded.

Haku nodded and Kankuro became a little pissed off.

"stupid council…" he muttered.

" we have negotiations with the Hokage tomorrow morning. We all should get some rest." Gaara informed them, his voice devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

"yeah." Temari agreed quietly, knowing that the chances of getting Gaara to eat something to-day were non-existent.

"what are we negotiating?" Kankuro asked.

"co-training ninja's to establish better communication between the villages. She say's we'll need it for the war." Haku piped up.

"a war in which you should know nothing about." Temari growled.

Haku shrank back and hid behind Gaara.

He was one of only two people in the world who would ever hide behind Gaara.

/

I winced as he wrapped the bandages around my hand.

I had tripped over a person earlier, he had figured out pretty quickly from my gasp of pain when he greeted me that something was wrong.

After that he convinced me to let him wrap it, a decision I was now regretting having to agreed to.

Sasuke would be so mad that I had gotten injured. I didn't want to face his glare, Or his shrarigran.

He had told me his name was Shikamaru, and for some reason I felt I could trust him, he had a very bright aura, I liked it, it was very open and …. Determined. He just _felt_ like a good person.

He was just finishing up wrapping my hand when I felt it, a burning sensation across my chest, pain, sorrow, grief, anger. So much anger.

I couldn't even scream.

I just fell to the floor.

Red. Red hair. Green. Green eyes. Sand, sand everywhere. And completely alone. Darkness. Cold. Not the cold of being alone, but the cold of having felt the warmth, and having the warmth stolen away.

Rain pelted down from a pitch black sky, stinging as they hit my skin. Tasting of salt. Tears. Tears I couldn't shed.

As the dream faded I first became aware of someone pressing a cool cloth against my forehead.

"its alright sweetie, your okay, your safe." a calm, soothing voice assured me.

I opened my eyes to see an older woman with long dark hair, and a rounded belly leaning over me.

"My name is Kurenai , your at Shikamaru's place, your okay. You fell down when he was treating your hand, you've been out for a few hours now." she informed me soothingly.

I sat up and felt for my pocket, my hand shaking fearfully.

The pocket was empty.

'_don't lose it.'_

I whimpered.

And then I felt the snake slide down my shirt. I quickly reached down and pulled the snake out of my shirt and held him in my hand, checking him over for any signs of injury.

"you landed on your other side." Shikamaru informed me from the doorway.

I breathed a sigh of relief and tried to stand up only to have Kurenai stop me.

"you need to stay lying down for awhile."

I gave her a blank look and tried to get up again.

"stay down." Shikamaru ordered.

I froze and lay down obediently.

"what is your name?" He asked in the same controlling tone.

I opened my mouth but no words came out.

"Can you write it?' Kurenai asked.

I ignored her and continued staring at Shikamaru, waiting. It felt like I should know him. For some reason I couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity.

"Can you write?" Kurenai asked in a more demanding tone.

I startled out of my stupor and nodded to her.

Shikamaru left and came back a few moments later with a pencil and some paper.

"write your name." he ordered.

"Shikamaru, don't be so-"

"Kurenai. I think there is something wrong with her. Something's wrong with her mind."

I handed her the paper with my name written on it.

"Aani." she read before handing me back the paper.

"can you write which village you come from?" he asked.

I nodded.

"write it."

I looked at the paper and back up at him blankly.

"Which village do you come from?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"Her mind is like a child's." Kurenai remarked.

"I noticed. That and she doesn't talk, but I heard her whimpering, so she must be able to, she just doesn't or can't for some reason."

"do you think she's a spy?"

" I think we should take her to Kakashi."

"but they might… hurt her."

I turned cautious. Glancing back and forth between her.

"she might also be a spy and a threat to the village."

"hmm. I suppose your right." Kurenai sighed.

They had no idea how right they were.


	10. Chapter 10

**10.**

I screamed again as another kunai went through my foot.

"just tell us where you come from and the pain will stop." the ninja demanded yet again.

I whimpered in pain and fear but didn't say anything.

I had nothing to say.

I didn't know where I came from.

My lip split and blood dribbled into my mouth as his foot mashed against my face, throwing me and the chair I was tied to against the wall, toppling over onto the side.

"Enough!" someone yelled, banging the door open.

"Kakashi! We were just interrogating-"

"a girl."

"a spy!" they argued.

"a suspected spy! You have no proof! Who ordered this?"

"the council, sir, with all the trouble stirring up about the Uchiha and the Akatsuki after the nine-tails the council decided immediate action should be taken to protect the village."

"the council is being cautious, yes. We are in a crisis situation. However, its not going to send a good message if we beat up every girl who comes into the village now is it?" Kakashi fumed.

The silver-haired ninja came over and I winced, whimpering in preparation of another injury. He grabbed the ropes tying me to the chair and cut them.

"Kakashi! You can't just untie-"

He glared at them and they shut up, he grabbed my arm and helped me up, only to have me cry out at the intense pain in my already injured wrist.

"Shikamaru has informed me that her name is Aani, her wrist was already sprained, and something seems to be wrong with her mental status. I have also been informed that in the past hour of _interrogation _you haven't even learned that much."

It was then that an angry councilman entered he room, shouting at Kakashi about protocol and the protection of Konoha.

Kakashi dragged me right past him and out the door, and when I tripped due to my foot having been stabbed he just picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. My vision became a bit fuzzy from blood loss but I swear I saw him pull out a book in one hand and start reading, even as we were followed by several angry ninja and councilmen. I only stayed conscious for a few more seconds before blacking out again.

/

Gaara and Haku sat in a hospital room, waiting for Tsunade, who had insisted he let her give him a checkup on his chest-wound before going to discuss the co-training negotiations..

"Kakashi, your making a mess! Get her into a room already!" someone shouted in the hallway.

The whistling silver-haired ninja turned into Gaara's room a few seconds later, with an unconscious girl hanging over his shoulder.

" Kazekage, long time no see." he greeted casually.

Blood dripped onto the floor behind him.

"Kakashi." Gaara greeted in kind.

A small hissing sound was followed by a light thump as something hit the floor behind Kakashi. All three of them turned to look only to see a small green tail disappear around the door.

"couldn't even find her pet…" Kakashi muttered under his breath.

Gaara raised an eyebrow questioningly.

" the council is panicking over the Madara issue. I still can't believe they sent Naruto to some island."

"hn."

"u-uh. She's bleeding…..a lot." Haku stammered.

Kakashi looked at the blood puddle behind him and paled a bit before leaving the room hurriedly.

"was that Kakashi?" Tsunade asked as she walked in.

Haku nodded.

"hmm. Oh, well, lets see this wound of yours…."

/

The next time I woke up I was aware of a beeping sound…and the fact that I hadn't had a confusing dream.

I opened my eyes to a dark, clean hospital room. And someone trying to sneak into my window.

"oof!" was followed by a not-so-unnoticeable thud as Suigetsu landed awkwardly on the floor.

I blinked.

"you have no idea how hard it was to find you! I had to cut some guys leg off to find out where you were, then I had to kill him and hide the body, but I'm sure Sasuke will forgive me, because finding you was important."

I stared at him blankly.

"heard you got tortured." he sat on the edge of the bed and his stomach growled.

"I brought you some food, and money, cas Sasuke forgot when he sent you off."

I smiled finally when he handed me a sandwich.

I bit down and nearly jumped when Suigetsu grabbed my arm mid-bite.

" you need to find out more about where they sent the nine-tails. If you don't get some good information he's gonna get real mad." he warned me.

I nodded and he smiled his sharp-toothed smile before getting up and trying to get back out the window.

It took him a few minutes, in which I watched and ate my sandwich quietly. Once he got out he waved at me one last time and tossed me a small pouch of money before disappearing completely into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**11.**

When I woke up the next morning, Kakashi was there, with paper and a pencil asking me a lot of questions with minimal results.

"what is your favorite color?" he asked.

I scribbled green down on my paper.

"what are you afraid of?" he asked.

I hesitated and wrote desert spiders on the page.

"who is your best friend?"

I didn't know. I left it blank.

"are you a spy?"

I wrote no. I wasn't the spy, the snake was, but I didn't write that down.

"what are you looking for?" he asked.

That one was easy. I wrote that I was looking for the nine-tailed demon fox's location.

"what is your favorite place?"

I wrote the desert.

"do you have a leader?"

Yes.

"what is your leaders name?"

Sasuke.

"how did you get to Konoha?"

I walked.

"how did you find Shikamaru?"

I Tripped over him.

"what is the snakes name?"

I don't know, he didn't say.

"what is your favorite food?"

Cookies.

"Can I have your paper now?"

Yes.

"no, hand it over."

I gave him the paper and he red through it, looking rather confused.

He handed it back.

"how old are you?"

I don't know.

"are you a spy?"

No.

"what are you looking for?"

The location of the Kyuubi.

"if your looking for Naruto, then how are you not a spy?"

I'm not a spy. Who's Naruto?

"what's your favorite weapon?"

Samurai sword.

"why are you looking for the Kyuubi?"

I don't know.

"what is your name?"

Aani.

"do you know who the Hokage is?"

No.

"Do you know who the Kazekage is?"

No.

"why do you like the desert?"

I don't know. It just popped into my head.

"what do you know about the Kyuubi?"

Nothing. I need to find out his location.

"why do you need to find out his location?"

I don't know.

"who needs to find him?"

Sasuke.

"why?"

I don't know.

"when did you join Taka?"

I don't know. Jugo found me.

"where?"

I don't know.

"hand me the paper."

I gave it to him again. He read it over, frowned, and left.

/

"okay, so we all agree to the terms?" Tsunade asked.

"hn."

"taking that as a yes…" she commented, filling in the last of the paperwork and signing it with a flourish before handing it to Gaara for him to sign.

He double checked it before adding his signature.

"glad to have Suna's cooperation!" she beamed.

Gaara gave her a blank stare and she took a drink of Sake just as Kakashi walked in.

"I questioned her and I believe Shikamaru is right, there is something wrong with her head."

Tsunade frowned and stared at the paper Kakashi handed her.

Gaara took the opportunity to leave, Haku trailing behind him.

"So now we can just kick back and relax!" Kankuro commented, happy that the political mumbo jumbo was over.

"shopping!" Temari nearly sang as she walked out the door. Haku had left nearly an hour earlier, none of them knew why. Kankuro left shortly after Temari, hoping to find someone who would sell him some soup. Leaving Gaara alone to brood over his thoughts.

/

Shikamaru visited me later in the day, Kakashi still hadn't come back.

He kept staring at me with his analytical eyes and I still found that his gaze seemed so familiar.

After a while he just shook his head and left.

I had found that the snake had returned, curling into my stomach for warmth. I let myself drift off to sleep.

Blood. Rain. Orange eyes. A chain. A blade. A whisper. Wind. Stretching. Breaking. Shattering.

I jumped awake, my nerves felt raw. I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, a cold, aching fear.

Kakashi was standing in the doorway reading some pervy book.

Weird pervy ninja.

"your awake!" he smiled. At least I think he smiled. I really wanted to take off his mask.

I tilted my head quizzically at him.

He handed me a notebook and a pencil.

Great, more questions. *sarcasm*

"Aani, are you a spy?"

No.

"do you work for Sasuke Uchiha?"

Yes.

"did he use the shrarigran on you?"

Yes.

"is that why you can't talk?"

No.

"why can't you talk?"

I have no clue.

"hmm…."

…?

"that wasn't a question. What do you know about the Kyuubi?"

Sasuke and his boss are looking for it. They need to find it.

"what do you know about Sasuke's Boss?"

His name is Madara. He's creepy. He has shrarigran.

"what do you know about Sasuke?"

He's creepy. He's sad, and angry. His soul is rotting. I can feel it wither away, it's being corrupted, it is corrupted. He's losing his light.

"he's going blind? Doesn't he have Itachi's eyes?"

His eyes are fine, who's Itachi?

"what is the light he's losing?"

The light of bonds. He's breaking his bonds that tie him to happiness. To friendship. To love. He's clinging so desperately to his revenge that its poisoning him. I don't like his aura. It's dark.

"how do you feel that?"

I literally feel it. I can sense it clouded around him, and if I get to close I can feel it across my skin.

"how is that possible. I've never heard of anything like it…."

I don't know.

"that was rhetorical. Who travels with Sasuke?"

Me, Jugo, and Suigetsu.

" that's all?"

Karin was left behind. Sasuke thought she was useless. I'm afraid I'll get left behind too. He's already told me that I'm useless.

"hmm. What do you feel from Madara?"

He swirls so much that I can't quite tell anything about him, I'll almost have his feeling and it will slip away. He gives me headaches.

"where were you born?"

How am I suppose to know?

"Where did you grow up?"

Don't remember.

"has someone messed with your head? Has Sasuke used shrarigran on you."

Sasuke used shrarigran to look into my memories. He said my mind was blank, although it did have almost memories.

"what is an almost memory?"

A spot of color in the blank.

"does anything just ever pop into your head?"

I have weird dreams.

"weird how?"

They make no sense but some of them scare me, and others make me sad, and a few make me happy.

"can I see your paper?"

Yes.

Oops. I handed it to him.

He read it over, sighed, and looked at me for a long time.

"told you." Shikamaru sighed from the door.

I jumped, I hadn't noticed he was there.

"some things she understands, others she gets confused, and at the moment I'm not sure she can tell right from wrong." he added.

"it's better than showing her flash cards." Kakashi mused.

"we could try that."

"I was joking."

"I wasn't."

Someone brought in flash cards.


	12. Chapter 12

**12.**

They showed me a flashcard and I had to write the first thing that came to mind.

A picture of Shikamaru.

_Shikamaru._

Glasses.

_Karin._

Blue.

_My outfit._

Red.

_Red Hair._

Green.

_Green Eyes._

Hourglass.

_Sand._

Tree.

_Leaf._

Ramen.

_Cookie._

A samurai sword.

_Mine._

Shadows.

_Mika. Who's Mika?_

The next one wasn't a flash card, it was a picture of Shikamaru, a blonde, and a chubby boy.

I left my space blank.

The next card was held up.

Mango.

_Food war._

Next card.

It was a picture of a bloody blade, about three feet long, a very sharp blade, long and thin in shape.

I remembered my dream.

Blood. Rain. Orange eyes. A chain. A blade. A whisper. Wind. Stretching. Breaking. Shattering.

I dropped the pencil and grabbed my head.

Why did my head hurt so much?

Why was I so scared, so angry?

Why was I crying?

I could feel it, but it was like I wasn't really there, I felt….detached. I could feel the warm drops fall into my lap, hear them hit the blanket.

I could feel my entire frame shaking, the rustling of paper as the notebook slid out of my lap. I heard a small tink as my pencil bounced to the floor.

The annoying beep of the machine hooked up to my bed, monitoring my heartbeat was rapidly increasing.

God why does my head hurt so much?

Why can't I remember?

I tore the stupid cord out of the machine and the beeping stopped.

I finally became aware of their worried voices, flowing past my ears.

Why am I so angry?

Why can't I just remember?

I threw the blanket off my lap and leapt up, grabbing the snake and pushing past Kakashi and Shikamaru and out the doorway.

Walking. Jogging. Running. Sprinting.

All I'm aware of now is the pain in my head, the tears on my face, and the thrumming of my feet as the take me away, away from the question I can't answer.

I'm running blindly. Pushing past people. Skidding around corners. Struggling to escape.

"Kyoki, stop!"

/

Gaara couldn't stand to be alone anymore. His own thoughts were driving him crazy. As a matter o fact, they drove him right out of the hotel room.

Walking the street Gaara couldn't help but wishing he could talk to Naruto. The only other person in the world who truly accepted him. Who truly knew him.

The only person Gaara looked up to.

He spotted a flash of pink in the corner of his eye to see Sakura, a friend of Naruto's, he took a step forward and spotted Kankuro, following Sakura.

"hn. She saved his life didn't she?" he mumbled to himself before turning away, leaving his brother be.

Where had Haku gotten to?

"don't be so glum. At least they allowed you to leave, I had to sneak out!" Mika half-shouted, appearing from a shadowy alleyway.

"hn."

"they shouldn't have left you alone here. You haven't been here without _her_, have you?" Mika asked.

Cold glares from Gaara.

"*hic*." she stumbled a bit and Gaara caught her, and the scent of alcohol on her breath.

"your kidding me…" he growled.

"nope!" she beamed.

He grumbled in his throat and propped her up again.

"want some?" she slurred.

Angry looks from Gaara.

"I have pleeenty mooore you know! You-you could uuuuse it! Loosen up a bit….. Forget some stuff *hic* let it all go for awhile….*hic*"

Gaara looked down.

"tome on!*hic*" she grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the hotel.

/

Who's Kyoki?

I turned another corner and ran into a light pole.

I felt my already split lip break again and blood getting inhaled through my nose.

I hoped it wasn't broken.

"Kyoki!"

Shikamaru leaned over me and checked me for injury, finding lots he sighed and mumbled troublesome.

"Kyoki. Do you remember? I wasn't sure it was you at first but you seemed so familiar…. But your responses fit you and you have the same walk. The same stride. The same expression. What happened to you?"

I shook my head.

"what? What wrong? Kyoki?"

I shook my head.

"Aani."

I nodded.

"who gave you your name?"

I scratched Jugo into the dirt.

"Aani. Your real name is Kyoki."

I shook my head.

The name was unfamiliar to me. It sparked nothing.

"you lived with Gaara."

Didn't know who that was either.

"and Temari and Kankuro in Suna. In a desert." I shook my head.

Jugo had found me in the mountains. No desert.

"your best friend was Mika."

I looked up. I knew that name. I had written it under shadows.

"Kyoki, do you remember?"

I scratched Aani into the dirt.

"you remember Mika, then, Aani?"

I nodded. Sorta.

"what about Gaara?"

Nothing.

"Temari?"

Nothing.

"Kankuro?"

Nothing.

"hmm."

I tilted my head, he caught sight of it and looked sad.

"why did you run away?"

I was scared. And angry. I was so angry. And sad. My head hurt so much.

The snake slithered up over my shoulder to curl himself around my neck. Both eyes were a pale gold. Had I hurt it? Maybe when I ran into the pole….

"Aani? Do you trust me?"

I nodded.

"follow me." he sighed. "I'm about to make trouble."


	13. Chapter 13

**13.**

"Shikamaru, has it occurred to you that she may have known Mika from her childhood. Kyoki Kukichi is not the only person who might have known Mika in their lifetime."

"her mannerisms and facial expressions are als-"

"on top of that, I do believe that information says that miss Kyoki is checked in at the Suna hospital, she's been rather ill lately and wasn't able to accompany the Kazekage on this trip." Tsunade snapped, tired that she had been bothered so late, she was right in the middle of a drinking game.

"but her tests also indi-"

" having me tell the Kazekage that his sick girlfriend mysteriously showed up on our doorstep the same day he did, not accompanying him and looking extremely different would cause so much trouble between our villages! They'd think we were playing a prank! She's even denied the fact that her name is Kyoki, correct?"

"yes but-"

"Shikamaru. Your tired. We all are. Miss Kyoki is in Suna, and miss Aani is probably extremely confused at the moment. Didn't you say that there was something wrong with her thought process?"

"lady-"

"goodnight Shikamaru!" she growled.

"Goodnight ma'am." he sighed.

I was so tired.

My eye lids felt so heavy right now. Where was he taking me?

Oh, right… back to the hospital…..

I yawned and leaned against him.

He peered down at me and mumbled troublesome under his breath.

/

" ish…..I jusht…missszz herrr. I can't…I can't…*HIC*" Gaara slurred.

"I…I…shhhhh…..I…I…*hic*….knoww howw youuuuuuu feeel….it's jusht sooo hard…*hic*…without…herrrr…." Mika agreed.

"hnnnn*HIC*"

Gaara reached for the bottle again only to have it slip from his fingers and crash to the floor, shattering on impact.

They sat at the Kitchen tables, several empty bottles already piled up, three half-empty ones, and two unopened ones.

The bottles were strong liquor, and Gaara had drunk at least seven of them.

He reached for another and took a swig.

"it…hurt…mooore…..than…thissssh…" he moaned, jabbing his thumb at his chest wound.

"huh?*hic*"

"her…her *HIC* eyes…..shhheee looked ssoo s-scared…. Annd…I cou-couldn't heelp herr… I couldn't….."

He slumped over, the bottle rolled out of his hands and tipped over the edge.

Mika caught it with un-delayed accuracy.

She set it back on the table and stood up, giving Gaara a shake on the shoulder.

Nothing. He was done in for the night.

She only felt a little bad about drugging him, and getting him drunk. 

But he needed sleep. 

He hadn't slept at all since Kyoki had disappeared. 

Weeks ago.

A good nights sleep might do him well.

Well, with how much she drugged him it would probably be a good days sleep as well.

/

I woke up in the hospital.

It was grey outside, just before dawn.

Suigetsu was climbing into my window again.

"come here!" he growled.

I got up and walked over to him, he promptly hoisted me up onto his shoulder and started climbing back out the window.

"Sasuke suddenly blacked out last night, when he woke up he said I had to fetch you. We know the Kyuubi is on an island, we need to know which one. He'll probably send you back in." he informed me quietly as we crept over rooftops.

I nodded, though I'm not sure he could tell since I was hanging over his shoulder.

Sasuke and Jugo were waiting for us just outside the village., the minute my feet hit the ground I ran and hugged Jugo. 

Jugo had named me Aani. 

Jugo had always been Kind to me.

Jugo had found me.

I could rely on Jugo.

He was my tie to the world.

He rubbed my back and smiled at me, although a bit confused.

"Where is it?" Sasuke growled.

I jumped and looked at him, puzzled.

OH!

I pulled the snake out of my shirt and handed it to him.

He did the eye switch thing again and once more the snake and Sasuke each had one red eye.

He turned to me now.

"Stop telling them about us. Tell them nothing, absolutely nothing. Just find out which island the Kyuubi is on." He ordered/growled.

I nodded, slightly afraid.

"Aani…" Sasuke called. I couldn't help it. I looked up into his eyes. Eyes of the shrarigran, well, eye, the other was still plain red.

I blacked out.

/

"Drunk. You. Got. My .brother. DRUNK?" Temari asked, her voice very calm and extremely angry.

Mika smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"And then you DRUGGED HIM?" her voice started rising when she spoke.

Another enthusiastic nod from Mika.

Kankuro poked Gaara with a bottle.

Nothing.

"Get out. Get out of this room right now!" Temari shouted.

Mika frowned and walked into the nearest shadow, disappearing.

Temari sighed.

"can I draw on his face?" Kankuro asked.

"you can't draw on the Kazekage's face!" Haku walked into the room, alarmed.

"he's my brother, why can't I draw on his face?" Kankuro growled.

"where were you?" Temari snarled at the same time.

"Konoha…hrs...btrh…strwbys…" Haku mumbled off.

"What?" Temari demanded.

"Konoha has better strawberries! He's getting sick…and he won't eat…and…"

"Gaara hasn't been eating?" Temari asked, startled with the news.

Haku shook his head miserably.

"how long?"

"since the day after we left Suna…..not that he'd been eating much before that anyway…."

"how come you noticed this and we didn't?" Kankuro piped in.

"because we don't mind Gaara. He's Gaara, even to us he seemed so invincible…. I never even thought to check….." Temari trailed off, upset with herself.

BAM!BAM!BAM!

They all jumped at the knock on the door.

"Go away!" Kankuro yelled.

A slight grumble could be heard from outside the door.

Then a few clicks and wobbles later the previously looked door swung open to reveal…..an unhappy Shikamaru?


	14. Chapter 14

**14.**

I had my weirdest dream yet. They were starting to make some semblance of sense now though.

Always the same, red hair, green eyes. I could see him clearly now.

His red hair was messy and his green eyes seemed a little tired. We were walking across and endless, flat, barren desert.

He's ahead of me and he keeps getting farther away, I run and run to catch up and I don't seem to get any closer.

Then it rains.

Its not a fresh, clean rejuvenating rain. It doesn't heal.

It hurts.

And it makes the sky grow dark.

I'm running as hard as I can now, and I'm getting closer though at an agonizingly slow pace.

I finally catch him, he turns and…..

Blood blossoms from his chest, it dribbles from the corners of his mouth and he falls at my feet.

I screamed.

My soul screamed.

It hurt so much to watch him fall, it kills me to my core, but…

Why?

I don't even no who he is.

I woke up screaming.

And crying.

And bawling.

I just couldn't stop.

Kakashi is here, trying to say something to me but my ears don't hear it.

I just sit there and shake.

And cry.

I finally begin to grow aware of the world around me.

My eyes feel heavy and droopy, probably from crying.

My throat is sore, probably from crying.

I finally heard him.

"Aani, what's wrong?"

I don't know.

I just…don't know.

He has breakfast but my stomach feels as though it would reject anything I ate.

So I watched him set it on the table in silence.

"are your dreams…nightmares?" he asked softly.

I nodded stiffly, staring without emotion at nothing.

"what are they about?"

I reached for the notebook and pen, not finding them, I just shrug.

Kakashi looks at me solemnly.

"come with me." he orders.

I followed.

/

"what do you mean Kyoki is here?" Temari yelled, grabbing the front of Shikamaru's shirt.

"she looks different, and she can't talk, and she doesn't seem to remember much, but it's her….it has to be."

" Kyoki Kichi is I-in Suna and-and s-she is I-in the hos-hospital…." Haku stammered. No one outside Suna was suppose to know what happened.

Shikamaru frowned.

Gaara mumbled sadly in his drug-and-alcohol induced sleep, it was almost a painful whimper.

It was more than Temari could stand.

"no she's not…." Temari sighed.

Shikamaru looked up And Temari let go of him.

"so she's not in Suna….."

Kankuro and Temari's expressions darkened.

"she disappeared into the wind after a battle….. That's not important. Your saying she's here?" Kankuro asked roughly.

Shikamaru nodded.

"and causing trouble.." he grumbled.

"this is great! It's so great that means-" Temari started joyously.

"she doesn't remember you. Any of you." Shikamaru cut in.

"doesn't…remember….." Temari spoke slowly, "…any of us?"

Shikamaru shook his head.

"not even Gaara?" Haku asked sadly, hope draining out of his eyes.

"no."

"maybe if she see's him…..?" Kankuro thought aloud.

"that's what I'm hoping. She's at the hospital now…..if you'll wake Gaara."

All of them looked at his sleeping figure, two of them in dismay…..

/

"open your eyes and look at me." Kakashi ordered softly.

Him and Blink were sitting across from me and I stared into two sets of eyes….and blacked out.

"what is your name?" Kakashi asked inside my head.

Aani.

"name as many people as you can for me."

Aani. Kakashi. Karin. Shikamaru. Ten-ten. Neji. Rock lee…..Mika?

"what about Sasuke, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Madara?"

Nothing.

"name as many colors as you can think of."

Blue. green. red. gold. white. orange. black.

"what do they remind you of?"

Myself, my dreams, the snake, the people I've met.

I heard another voice, that sounded very distant.

"do I really have to do this?" Kakashi whined.

"yes…"

"what do you know about konoha?"

Its leaf.

"what do you know about Kyuubi?"

On an island.

The blackness broke and I was in the room again, facing three people.

Kakashi, Neji, and some doctor.

"her responses show she has a sound, empty, but sound mind. She's not crazy." the doctor said, eyeing a piece of paper.

"her chakra patterns don't flux much, on the surface, but in her core…..there is a slightly different chakra, a more powerful one, its threaded through her whole system, but weakly, its only strong at her chakra core." Neji reported.

"she talks in her head just fine." Kakashi added.

"my report is….I honestly don't know what's wrong with this child. Memory loss seems to be the only abnormality, and the odd chakra is most likely connected to her memory loss. She doesn't show deceit or any other…hazardous traits. She doesn't seem like a spy. She also has a very childlike mind." the doctor finished.

"thank you." Kakashi smiled before getting up and grumbling under his breath. Kakashi motioned for me to follow him again.

/

"so…you drugged your brother." he stated simply.

Twitchy looks returned him.

"he is Gaara, can't you just ….try and hit him and he'll wake up?"

"the genius doesn't have any brighter idea than that?" Temari sniped.

Shikamaru shrugged while Kankuro walked over to Gaara.

"don't , Kankuro he's drugged!"

Shikamaru grabbed a water glass and overturned it above Gaara's head.

Sand shot up, attempting to strangle Shikamaru as Gaara groggily lifted his head.

"Gaara! Don't kill him!" Temari shrieked.

Sand retreated and the now wet red-head finally got his eyes opened, even if they were glassy from inebriation and drugs.

He still managed to glare.

"he…th-thinks he f-found miss-k-Kyoki….." Haku stammered.

Gaara swiveled around, eyeing Shikamaru warily.

"you found her…?" he croaked.

Shikamaru nodded, almost immediately Gaara struggled to his feet, growling when Haku tried to help him.

"damn woman…..what the hell is….." Gaara's eyebrows drew together as he tried to steady himself.

"she drugged you…on top of getting you drunk…..on the bright side, you did manage to sleep for a good fifteen minutes."

More stumbling and Glaring from Gaara until Shikamaru finally grabbed his arm and steered him towards the door.

/

Kakashi treated me to ramen.

I ate four bowls before he finally cut me off.

"your worse than Naruto!" He chuckled. I raised an eyebrow questioningly as I slurped down more noodles.

Kakashi reached for my cookie and I nearly pounced on his arm in attempt to beat him to it. He drew his hand back, startled.

I nibbled on my cookie peacefully.

Once we finished eating he took me back outside and we walked down the street.

Silent.

It unnerved me. He was still smiling through his mask and reading his book, just….silent. I could feel him watching me from the corner of his eye. He leads me past houses .silent.

"who won capture the princess?" he asked.

I looked up at him, the sudden noise alerting me, I studied his own expression, finding it a mirror of mine. He was looking for my reaction.

I stared at him until he shrugged. We kept walking.

A small rustling across my stomach made me look down as the snake slid from my neck to my belly, wrapping himself up in a tight coil beneath my shirt.

Kakashi shot a weird look towards my wiggling belly but said nothing.

I listened to the street.

"five more and I would….." "is that her?" "its on sale! Ten off! Fifteen off!" "you sure?" "yes" "such pretty shoes…oh look at that…." "so easy, to think…oh, such fun…is that who I ? ha! It is!" "you knocked it over!" " no cheating! I had it first!" "this really will be too much fun!" "hey! Put that back!" "mommy! Mommy! Look at-"

"hello."

Kakashi stopped and I bumped into his back.

"have we met?" Kakashi asked.

"no…no…but I've heard stories about you….Hatake Kakashi, unfortunately your not who I need to see…."

"oh…and who would you be looking for?"

I peeked around Kakashi's side.

Yukio smiled at me.

I was screaming before he said it.

"…her."


	15. Chapter 15

**15.**

"what do you mean she's not in her hospital room!" Gaara and Shikamaru demanded in unison. Gaara nearly growling, Shikamaru speaking with frustration.

"master Kakashi escorted the young lady out earlier today…." the young nurse replied, trailing off when their expressions darkened dangerously.

"where?" Gaara demanded.

The nurse took a fearful step back before replying.

"she-she was to have a p-psych evaluation…."

" already gave her one.." Shikamaru groaned.

"a professional evaluation…"

Shikamaru just snorted in irritation.

"where is she now?" Temari cut in.

"um…..I-I don't know…"

The group immediately turned on heel and left the hospital.

/

I ran faster than I had in a long time…..faster than I should be able to.

I was nearly flying.

People and buildings blurred by, sound was meshed together….I couldn't breath.

I didn't know what was happening.

I was so confused…I haven't known what's going on for a long time…I did know one thing:

I was terrified.

And I was crying again, because nearly as strong as my fear was…grief? He…Yukio had taken something from me…but what?

I couldn't remember even as hot tears burned down my face.

I could hear the snake hissing as I ran.

All too clearly I could recall the sound of a blade hissing as it was drawn, but by the time I had heard that my feet were already taking me away from Kakashi and Yukio, and their ensuing fight.

A large hand reached out and grabbed me, another scream rose in my throat as I looked up at Yukio's twin companions.

I could remember her now….Mika…being held by the twins…one of them picking up a samurai sword….my samurai sword….and burying it in her stomach…I had screamed and blood gurgled from her mouth before they dropped her….she lay still on the wet ground….. They had taken her from me….my best friend….

I stopped struggling….their was something else in that memory…..something I was missing….and it was tearing my heart to pieces.

What was it?

What can't I see….

Well, nothing now….one of the twins roughly tugged a sack over my head and I had the familiar feeling that I was being tossed over someone's shoulder.

/

"so sorry…but I just received confirmation that I no longer need to play with you…." Yukio smirked through his own face coverings, his orange eyes glinting.

Kakashi froze.

"what are you saying?" he asked tensely.

"I'm saying you're a very bad guardian…..my boys have picked her up quite easily…soo…" he turned to leave and Kakashi shoved his headband up, activating his shrarigran.

Yukio turned back.

"then again…this could be such an interesting game…."

/

As soon as they were outside a grinding sound could be heard before something exploded out from the group in a cloud.

Everyone but Gaara was coughing as sand filtered through the air of Konoha.

"that's new…" Kankuro wheezed.

"he used it once before…..*cough…*koff*…when searching for her…." Temari informed him, tears burning at the corners of her eyes as she recovered from their 'dusting'

Haku was nearly doubled over, he had been standing closest to Gaara. Shikamaru bent over his small frame and helped him up.

"someone….is fighting…." Gaara informed them before taking off in that direction.

over the village the cloud of sand was retreating back into itself….Gaara shut off the trick before he used up too much chakra.

The group ran towards the source of the fight….shock on their faces at what they found.

/

I thrashed about but it had no great affect.

I was nothing compared to the guy who was carrying me.

I tried to bite through the sack with no luck…. I was helpless.

Hsssssssss…

"AH!" the guy carrying me yelped and hopped about as I felt something slide out of my shirt….and down his neck.

Yay for the snake!

"oof!" I slipped off his shoulder and hit the ground with a dull thud, wounding yet again my sore shoulder, almost exactly the same as I had previously when I fell off Suigetsu's sword.

I struggled to my feet and ran blindly, the sack still tied over my head.

/

Sand wrapped around Yukio before he even realized he had company.

"oh….well then…that changes things." Yukio remarked calmly, for a man who was about to die.

It tightened.

Kakashi looked around at the new arrivals, grateful and confused.

" my men already have your precious Kichi. Go ahead. kill me. They'll take her far from here, and when I don't show up…..she's their toy then." Yukio mocked casually.

Gaara's eyes were more murderous at that moment than they had been in a long time.

The sand slid around Yukio and bound his hands together, one patch staying over his heart, just waiting to kill him.

"where is she?"

/

I was running around blindly, tugging at the sack that was over my head, terrified of the large crashing sounds behind me, telling me that I was being pursued.

"little bitch!" one of the roared, trying to find me. I stifled a whimper and finally managed to tear the sack off my head, albeit nearly strangling myself in the process.

I spotted a familiar head of silver hair and ran for it, looking at Kakashi rather than were I was going. I figured I was safer hiding behind Kakashi, even if Yukio was there, than trying to fend for myself.

I crashed right into someone.


	16. Chapter 16

**16.**

Gaara growled and tightened the sand when Yukio laughed, the sound grated on his nerves.

He barely noticed when Shikamaru leaped out from behind him, as thought trying to get out of the way.

Someone slammed into Gaara from behind, both of them toppling foreword onto the ground, tangled with each other. Gaara tried to get up to find the edge of his robe was pinned under the idiots knee, the runner herself stuck with her cloak under Gaara.

"Get out of he….re." His snarl of anger faded as he saw her face.

Her perfect face.

She looked so different….her hair…and eyes…..were so faded. But it was her, it couldn't be anybody else.

"Kyoki?" he croaked.

Yukio chuckled in the background.

/

He called me Kyoki. He's the man in my dreams, literally.

Why is everyone calling me Kyoki today?

I'm really confused. What's important right now?

My name is Aani. Jugo named me. I have to keep away from this Yukio guy and his friends. Kakashi is my ally. The guy from my nightmares is standing in front of me calling me Kyoki.

Nope, wait, now he's hugging me.

Really tight.

Can't breath….

I shoved him away, wary.

"Kyoki! Oh, Kyoki…I…I….love you! Don't you ever…." a warning edge entered his soft voice, "..ever disappear like that again." he grabbed me up into a hug again, like I was going to disappear right in front of him…except that he was hugging me like he would never let me go.

Something wet dripped down my face.

Why am I crying?

Why am I so happy?

Who is this guy?

He dies in my dreams and now he's telling me he loves me.

I don't even know who he is.

"…w-h-ooooo…..arrre…you?" I murmured, my voice raspy and low from non-use.

He froze and tensed up. Shikamaru sighed somewhere to our left.

"Aani. Gaara, she's called Aani now. And she doesn't remember a thing." Shikamaru informed him.

Gaara shuddered and I thought I heard a very small sound.

Oh.

I knew what that was.

That was the figure of someone choking back a sob.

He let go of me and stepped back, searching my face.

I stared up at him blankly.

"you don't remember…." he croaked lowly.

I shook my head.

He slumped.

No, again it's not that he slumped that's not the right description.

Right, he didn't slump.

He broke.


	17. Chapter 17

**17. **

"hate to break up this _lovely _reunion," Yukio drawled, sarcasm dripping off his words, "but I have to leave now."

The sand had fallen to dust when Gaara broke, so Yukio was now free.

" I'll get the princess when she has less bodyguards…. Till then, bye bye!" he laughed, blurring before disappearing completely.

/

" so what do we do now?" Kankuro asked.

All seven of us were in some hotel room, Gaara's, I think.

"we should take her back to Suna!" Temari replied.

"and if she continues without her memory?" Shikamaru asked.

"She belongs in Suna! Right Gaara?" Temari demanded.

Kakashi only occasionally looked up from his book and Haku just sat there, his head bobbing as he looked around the people in the room.

"hn." Gaara's face was blank, impassive.

Temari faltered at him.

BAM!BAM!BAM!*thwack*

The door swung open after someone pounded on it and in walked the Hokage, lady Tsunade.

"Shikmaru! I thought I told you not to trouble the Kazekage with this matter. Kyoki Kichi is in-"

" this room. Right now." Temari cut in.

Tsunade stopped.

"so she is the Kichi child?" she asked, doubtful.

"yes." Temari sighed.

"then why is she working for Sasuke Uchiha?"

Gaara's head snapped up.

"what?" he growled.

I shrank back and the snake slithered off my arm, hissing quietly.

" she's been sent to search out information on the Kyuubi. She said so herself."

"I thought Naruto was on Hachibi's island?"

The hissing grew louder.

The snakes head was bobbing back and forth, listening intently under the influence of Sasuke's technique.

"he is, he's training to control the Kyuubi under Killer bee's guidance."

I whimpered.

All eyes flashed my direction.

Too late.

"..s-s-s-snake…." I stumbled over the word.

Immediate sand bubble around the small creature, hesitating briefly before….Squish.

I winced and images flashed behind my eyes.

_A street. Two men. They're drunk, I'm hurt. They're wrapped up in sand, floating in the air. Squish._

I stared at Gaara in horror.

Murderer. He was a murderer, I'd seen him kill before.

Something else was ingrained in my mind as well. It hid there, an irrevocable feeling. The feeling of being crushed, blood in my mouth, darkness.. He'd tried to kill me before as well.

I shrank back against the wall in fear.

Gaara saw me. My expression, my body language.

I saw the broken look shadow his face briefly before it became impassive again.

"uh. I have a mess to go clean up." Tsunade mumbled before making a hasty exit, Kakashi followed her out.

Shikamaru rose from his seat.

"when you decide what to do with her, let me know. This is way too much trouble to let alone." he grumbled before leaving himself, closing the door behind him.


	18. Chapter 18

**18.**

"so we know were the fox is….. Are we going back for Aani?" Suigetsu asked.

Sasuke continued meditating.

The snake getting killed had been unplanned, as was the effect it had on Sasuke since his mind had been tied to the snake's. At first it had been a needle like pain in his mind, intense and nearly unbearable. It had eventually faded but Sasuke still had a headache that was determined to hang on till the last.

Jugo hadn't said a word since the snake had died and Sasuke had made them move camp, to a location farther from Konoha, and Aani. That had been days ago.

"Uchiha? Are we going back?"

Sasuke opened one eye to glare at Suigetsu.

"no. she's not in Konoha anymore. Our objective has been met, it's time to go find the Kyuubi."

/

I sat in my room.

Well, they said it was my room. The walls were pretty, white on blue, swirling around the room like wind. I liked it.

There had been a samurai sword by the door when I first walked in to the room. Looking at it made me remember that awful image of it buried in Mika's stomach, so I picked it up and dropped it out the window.

The floor had been dusty, everywhere except the doorway, the clear part seemed to have been made as though someone had opened the door and just stood in the entryway a lot. Staring at an empty room.

"what-…" "….could we?" "well then what are-" "have you looked at him lately Temari?"

I heard snippets of conversation from the hallway, becoming clearer as I walked towards the door.

"Kankuro, what else-"

"at least when she was missing he had hope. You saw! You saw what happened!"

"you think I don't know this Kankuro? What do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know! Something! Anything!"

"I just don't know…"

"I can't stand to watch him like this….he's-"

"-broken. He really loved her. And now…he-" her voice cracked.

The door creaked as I pushed it open to see them standing in the hallway, angry. Crying. I know that it has something to do with me. It's mostly about Gaara. And a lot of it I don't understand.

The front door opened and we listened.

Soft footsteps. Only one person.

Haku was home.

Gaara wasn't.

Temari shot a sad, angry look around the hall before stomping downstairs. Kankuro sighed and followed, hardly a glance in my direction.

I felt drained. For some reason, the past few days I've been completely wiped out, I slept a lot, and hardly left my room. Haku usually brought me something to eat in the evenings.

I wandered down the hall in search of the bathroom, I still kept getting the wrong door a lot, usually ending up in Kankuro or Temari's rooms.

I yawned and pushed the door open, walking in.

I'm pretty sure the bathroom didn't have an endless desert painted on the walls.

Or a bed.

The room was mostly bare, the open walls and endless desert made me feel….lonely. There was the bed and a nightstand, a closet in one corner and a desk. The Kazekage hat was hung on he wall along with a large, old painting. I don't know what it was but there was a story written over it, a legend, I think.

I sat on the bed and stared around the room for a bit, eyes drooping.

I think the last thought in my head before I fell asleep was that this must be Gaara's room.

/

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the soft breathing of another person. The second was that my neck hurt like crazy from the position I was in against the wall on the bed.

I blinked my heavy lidded eyes and rubbed them, finally clearing my vision enough so that I could see Gaara, slumped over his desk, stacks of papers around him, sleeping.

His shirt was on the floor and his robes were draped over the back of the chair he was on. He still had a pen in his hand.

I quietly got up and tiptoed over to him. I could tell why he was in nothing but his pants, even out of the bed the room temperature was really warm, no wonder I fell asleep so easily.

I shifted so I could look over his shoulder to see what he had been working on.

That's when I noticed it.

The rough, angry scar between his shoulder blades.

My eyes widened at the memory of my dream, where I had been chasing him and when I finally caught up, he turned and had blood spreading across his chest, his mouth open in surprise….and I remembered something else…..that memory of Mika and Yukio were something had been missing…a piece I couldn't remember that tore at my heart….I knew what it was now. Yukio had blurred in behind Gaara, his blade humming with sharpened Chakra, and drove it through Gaara's chest.

I was crying again. Then I remembered I need not cry over a murderer.

I stifled my tears and left the room, closing the door behind me.

Why was I even here?


	19. Chapter 19

**19.**

The next morning I woke up early, probably because I had already slept a lot the evening before. The sun was barely touching the dark sky as I quietly padded down the stairs, my bare feet hardly making a sound.

I paused when I reached the hallway and passed the kitchen. Without thinking I went to the fridge and opened it. I pulled out a carton of eggs and the milk jug, cracking the eggs In a bowl and stirring them into a creamy mixture, adding just a bit of milk before stirring some more.

I grabbed a pan and started cooking.

Soon enough the room smelled like breakfast and not long after a sleepy Kankuro stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"morning' Haku.." he mumbled, sliding into a chair at the table.

It took him a few minutes to realize I wasn't Haku.

"Kyoki?" he exclaimed, surprised.

"..Aani.." I corrected quietly.

Kankuro's expression fell and he slumped against the table once more. I dished him an omelet and he soon forgot all about being sad.

Food, key to a mans heart.

Haku and Temari soon wandered down the stairs and I dished them as well. Haku had a small, hopeful smile on his face and Temari said nothing. I dished two more plates and ate mine standing up.

I was halfway through my omelet when Gaara showed up. I didn't even hear him come down the stairs, course, with the way Kankuro ate, I'm not sure anyone would. He eyed the plate on the counter for a bit before turning to the fridge and pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He downed it and left without so much as a word, or a bite to eat.

/

*knock**knock*

"enter" Gaara sighed, trying to finish his paperwork, he still had piles to do, even with Haku doing nearly half of them.

Mika walked in the door and Gaara took a moment to be surprised. Then angry when he remembered she had drugged him.

He opened his mouth and got no further because she cut him off with a slap to the face.

"you found her and didn't tell me?" she shrieked.

"not exactly tell-worthy, besides where the hell have you been?"

"trailing Yukio you dope! I found his trail in Konoha and took off! What do you mean not tell-worthy!"

"she doesn't remember us! She doesn't even remember her own damn name!" he shouted back.

Haku just sighed and let them fight. The spectators in the hallway started to edge away from the door, afraid of Gaara's wrath.

"what do you mean she doesn't remember us? How can she not? She loved you!"

Gaara sent a dangerous glare at Mika. She panted angrily for a bit before looking away in shame.

"if she doesn't remember her name, what do you call her?"

"…Aani."

"it's….pretty."

Gaara sighed and scribbled his name on another document.

"she doesn't remember…..anything?"

"nothing important. She remembers how to cook breakfast…and maybe some other things….she's….afraid of me."

"anyone with a clear head is afraid of you."

"you're not."

"who said I had a clear head?"

Gaara looked up for a bit to ponder this, and deciding, he shook his head.

"can I go see her?"

"go ahead."

Mika walked into the shadow of the door and disappeared. The door closed behind her.

/

Something tackled me from behind, needless to say, I screamed.

"Aani!" Mika yelped when I jabbed my elbow into her ribs before darting away.

I stopped and turned back, wary.

"you don't remember me?"

I put my hand over my stomach, taking the hint, she lifted her shirt to reveal a thin, pale scar.

"so you remember….some things."

I bit my lip and she sighed. Perking up she ran and tackle-hugged me again.

"you remembered me first right?" she asked happily.

I nodded and she giggle-squealed.

Where did this woman get all her happy?


	20. Chapter 20

**20.**

I sat on the couch in the living room after a long day with Mika.

Now I'm being stared at critically by Temari.

For some reason unknown to me.

Have you ever been stared at critically by Temari?

She's very intimidating.

The front door opened and closed without so much as a glance from me or Temari. Not even when Gaara and Haku walked in, stopped when they saw us, and stared. Very confused as to what was going on.

Join the club.

"what are you doing?" Gaara asked.

Temari glanced over at him and burst into tears.

"why is she here? It's been over a week and she hasn't changed! she's not Kyoki anymore! She won't even accept the name so why is she here?" she wailed.

"it t-takes time…." Haku stuttered.

"how much!" she snapped. " how long was she in Konoha? How long has she been here? Without remembering a single thing!"

" Temari-"

"I can't stand it anymore! I can't sit by and watch you turn into an empty shell over her, Gaara! I can't stand to see everyone like this! I want her gone! I want my family back!"

Gone.

I want her gone.

I'm completely useless. Again.

I want to see Jugo.

I need that reassurance that someone wants me here.

I need…..I need….I need to get out.

I bolted off the couch and ran out of the living room, pushing through Gaara and Haku and a hysterical Temari, I ran right out the door and into the cool night air.

I ran and I ran until I wasn't running anymore. I was just breezing through the streets as a part of the wind. A small, insignificant strand of the breeze.

When I finally became solid again I was so dizzy and disoriented that I threw up. My legs felt like jell-o and I was numb.

I lay in the cooling sand with tears rolling down my face and just relaxed, listening to the night. I took a single moment of thought to be grateful that through some mystical power I had kept my cloths, albeit a little shredded.

/

Gaara raced to the door after her just in time to watch her disappear in the wind.

Again.

A small cry died in his throat as he sank to his knees. Temari sat in the hallway with her mouth open, yet unable to find anything to say.

Haku jumped when Gaara slammed his fist into the wall, its surface cracking.

"Gaara….maybe….maybe it's for the best that she's gone….she's not the girl you fell in love with anymore…"

"you think I haven't noticed?"

/

I sat up shivering.

The night had been cool earlier, now it was downright frigid.

And I was in the middle of the desert, a little clueless as to how I'd go about getting back to Suna.

"Hey!" someone called from behind me.

I paused in my teeth chattering to turn and see who the hell was stupid enough to be in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night.

"holy crap! Kyoki?" the boy asked. He had three other people with him, two other kids and an adult.

I shook my head and he looked confused.

"…Aani…."

"but I swear…. I'm Ryou!, this is Mira and Rei, and master Karu."

I waved and then shivered some more.

"are you lost?" he asked.

I nodded through the shivers.

"well, we'll take you back to Suna, we're heading back from a mission anyways. Where do you live?"

/

"uh…Kazekage…Sir….uh….she said she lived here…." Ryou stuttered when Gaara opened the door, a cold expression on his face.

Gaara passed a glance over the entire group, his expression never changing even as he took in Aani.

" she's our new housekeeper. Thank you for bringing her back." Gaara's voice was monotone, empty.

Ryou shifted nervously and nodded, lending Aani a hand as she passed him and into the house.

He left confused.

/

After Ryou brought me back home I went strait past Gaara and upstairs to my room.

I had another dream tonight.

Blood. Crying. screams. A chakra blade. Pain. Gaara. Yukio. Anger. Fear. Mika being stabbed through the stomach. Gaara nearly killing me. Someone with bones sticking out of their body nearly killing me. Being kidnapped. Being interrogated in konoha. A hospital. Cruel orange eyes. Haku, blood dripping down his face. An entire village, Suffering. Dark. Despair.

I woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Truly screaming. I was sad and angry and tormented all at the same time. My heart was breaking over something I couldn't grasp and my dreams were killing me. I just screamed. At one pint I think I felt someone's arms around me, protective. I felt safe. When the screams died I cried till sleep claimed me again.

The next time I woke up it was daylight outside.

And the only thing I could remember of my second dream was green eyes.

Loving, pained green eyes.


	21. Chapter 21

**21.**

Gaara has been distant the last few days. He no longer expresses his emotions to others, not Haku, not Kankuro, not Temari. No one. He's closing himself off to everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Mika still manages to get under his skin and make him open up.

Mostly he opens up in anger, she's done a lot of stuff to make him angry.

I was walking through Suna, I had forgotten awhile ago what I had originally set out to get.

I had the oddest feeling that I was being stared at.

It wasn't a creepy stare. I just had an odd feeling that someone was watching over me.

I looked around the people on the street, the people above the street, and the people around the street and found nothing out of place.

Then I spotted a shadow where there should be no shadow.

"….sh-shika-maruuu…?" I asked, the name tripping on my tongue.

He pulled himself out of the shadow and sighed.

"you never used to be so observant." he commented.

I tilted my head questioningly.

He sighed again and swung an arm over my shoulder, steering me around.

"you hungry?"

/

"Gaara….I think these forms are misfiled…." Haku remarked.

Gaara's head snapped up "what?"

"uh-um…who filed these? I think they're marked wrong…."

Gaara put a hand over his face in exasperation and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry….I worked really hard on them…." Mika offered innocently from the doorway.

"throw out all the miss-marked ones, Haku. Congratulations, Mika, you're officially ruining my life now."

"aww… I didn't ruin your life, just your paperwork."

Haku started shoving thick stacks of files into the trashcan.

"tell you what though…." she started in a too-sweet-to-be-true tone. " I hid the real ones somewhere"

"where?" Gaara sigh-growled.

"un-uh. You have to play my game."

"how about I just kill you and redo all my paperwork?"

"that takes all the fun out of it!" she pouted.

"not for me."

"no, Gaara, all you have to do is….."

/

What is with people staring at me while I eat? Is it some sort of hobby? Or contest?

I stopped eating halfway through my bowl because Shikamaru was staring at me so intently.

"not hungry?" he asked.

I shook my head just as lightning flashed across the sky.

"hmph…"

"whey …. Why…..were you follllohhing me?" I asked. I really needed to practice talking or something, I was still fumbling over words.

" there is something about you that keeps nagging me. Why didn't Suna report your disappearance? Well, not like there required to or anything…but they intentionally lied. And why is this Yukio character after you?"

The wind.

He wanted my wind, my power.

My abilities were beyond that of a wind-based chakra. Mine were so much more and very special. And dangerous.

So dangerous the council had ordered my clan killed. Murdered. So dangerous they had once tried to sentence me to death, I remembered being in a cell. I also know that it's also what Yukio is after. What he needs it for I have no clue.

"the….Kishi….. The Kichi power."

"Kichi power? So you do know your name, you are Kyoki."

I shook my head.

"I'm n-not Kyoki…I don't know wh-what I uzed to be like….. But I know I'm not herrr anymore. My nome iz…name is Aani. Aani Kichi."

"what is the Kichi power?"

"I'll tell-ell you whennn I lurn how to talk rite."

"in a few words, what is it?"

"…."

" simple, basic, anything?"

"it's the wind."


	22. Chapter 22

**22.**

It started pouring down rain while we were still in the ramen shop.

Here's the thing.

It rains …..almost never in Suna.

Here's another thing.

It's really late in the season to be raining.

And the final alarm bell,

The clouds were stuffed with chakra.

The big problem,

It was Yukio's chakra.

/

*tink*…..*tink*…*tink*.*tink*.*tink*tink*tink*

Gaara turned around at his desk so he could look out the window.

"is it raining?" Haku asked.

Gaara turned back to face him, eyes slightly widened in alarm.

"what? Is it bad that it's raining?"

Gaara got up and rushed out of the room. He paused at the doorway.

"Haku, stay inside."

/

I grabbed Shikamaru's arm and ran for the Kazekage house, looking for something.

I had no idea why I was compelled to go to the Kazekage house. I don't know what I was I looking for. I just knew it was important.

We got to the house and I ran around the side….and found it under my window. The only material weapon I knew how to use.

My Samurai sword.

/

"Boss…..you sure about going at the village again?" Twatt asked.

"yeah…..we won't have surprise on our side anymore….." Twett added.

"who said I needed surprise on my side?" Yukio replied, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"no one!" the twins came back in unison.

"then lets go….my blade would like to drink deeply again from Suna blood."

"Yes sir!" unison twins.

/

Gaara found Temari and Kankuro in different parts of the Kazekage building, and they met back up outside in the street.

"Gaara, I've alerted the ANBU forces to be ready." Kankuro reported.

" I've notified the hospital and sent word to Konoha, the alert has also been sent out to Suna Citizens to stay inside." Temari added.

Gaara nodded.

"Sir!"

Gaara turned.

"some of the villagers…..are prepared to fight. They want revenge for those we lost the last time Yukio attacked our village."

"tell them this is beyond their capabilities. Their bravery is noted, but this isn't a battle they can fight."

"yes sir!"

/

Shikamaru followed me back into the heart of Suna as I tried to find Yukio's presence. I found the Kazekage's, a few blocks to our left and moving, but put him out of my mind. I didn't know about him. I know I was afraid of him. I know he'd tried to kill me before. But for some reason I couldn't shake the feeling that he was important to me. How, I have no clue.

Turns out I didn't need to find Yukio though.

He found me first.


	23. Chapter 23

**23.**

I smelled blood nearly a heartbeat before he blurred in, his sword dripping with it. Shikamaru pulled out two blades, they went over his knuckles and were sharpened by chakra.

Not to mention immensely cool.

"New bodyguard? Doesn't seem as strong as Gaara…..it's be no fun to play with him."

I growled, a fierce, unladylike sound. The air seemed to rumble around me, resonating with my growl.

"your not going to run away this time? No hunt for me?" he pouted, sarcasm drenching his words.

I held my sword up, but the second I looked at the blade I knew I couldn't hold it, just looking at the thing sent fear running through me. It had been turned against me before. I didn't want it anymore. I tossed it into the air, were it disintegrated in my wind.

"smart girl, you giving up?"

"…no…" I whispered, my voice still wouldn't raise itself.

He chuckled darkly and faster than I could see, his hand moved. I tilted my head to try and figure out what he did when I felt the cut burn across my cheek.

Too fast. He moves to fast.

He raised his hand again, slowly this time, and dropped his weapon. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Aani! Run! I can't hold him too long!"

Shikamaru, shadows. His shadows.

"I….can't….let…..him…hurt….anymore….people…." I murmured.

"your to weak to do anything right now! Run!" he ordered.

Too weak.

To useless.

To small.

Too pathetic.

I always had to be protected.

I always messed up.

I was always being tossed around.

And someone else always paid the price.

/

"Sir! He's only a few blocks over!" an ANBU officer reported.

"The men are ready Kazekage!" another called out.

"then move!"

"yes sir!"

Gaara turned and headed for battle, the support of Suna behind him.

/

Shikamaru sat on ground, twenty feet away, shock written all over his face.

Yukio was crouched down on one knee, trying to avoid being torn to shreds.

You see, one person can only bear so much of anything.

Being me, I was primed and ready to break at any moment.

I just needed a trigger.

Which Shikamaru provided.

There are to ways to break, your either stretched until you snap, or battered until you shatter.

I was the first one.

And my favorite reaction wasn't self pity.

It was fury.

It was all his fault!

Yukio ruined my life once and set out to do it again.

And I was powerless for myself.

I can't afford to be powerless anymore.

And that's bad, cas right now I'm pissed off at everything, everyone, and everywhat in the world.

Yukio just happened to be the bulls-eye on my target.

So Shikamaru had been sent flying, and Yukio had faced gale forced winds.

And me and him were untouchable but to each other, well, unless you can stand the full extent of my power and not be disintegrated to dust, since I have a nice little cyclone cage around me and Yukio.

And I wanted Yukio's blood.

He coughed and tried to suck in air, but I took it away from him. Starving him of it. A sheet of wind whipped over him, splitting open his shirt and sending scarlet droplets flying.

I let him catch a breath.

"why?" my whisper crackled in a thousand tiny echoes around us.

"your power!" he gasped.

"WHY!" I asked again.

"I was commissioned to take you to-"

"why did you attack Suna!" I screamed.

He smiled a blood spattered smile, grim, taunting, creepy.

"because it was fun."

I screeched in anger.

/

Gaara arrived at the battle scene to find Shikamaru pacing around a wind torrent.

"what the-" some officer started.

" are you strong enough to get through this?" Shikamaru asked.

"lets find out." Gaara stepped forwards and sent a sand model of a hand slowly into the torrent.

The second it touched it the sand broke apart and disintegrated.

They both sighed and sat down.

"do we want to be this close when she's through with him?" Gaara asked.

"probably not." Shikamaru replied.

"hn."


	24. Chapter 24

**24.**

Yukio was red.

He was so covered in his own blood that you couldn't make out any other colors anymore.

Just that rich, scarlet red.

Except his eyes.

His orange eyes, still unbroken, sarcastic. Mocking.

I hated his eyes.

"you know….my favorite…kuah-" he started, but then I stole his breath away.

I was seething. My pain. My anger. My sheer rage. It saturated the air around me.

Pure, untainted violent need. I needed his blood. I would draw it out of his until the very air was pink with it.

I gave him back his breath and he continued.

"a little boy….haha…pathetic…..wide blue eyes…he screamed when I drew my blade across his face-" my foot slammed into his jaw at this point.

Haku. It was Haku he had just described.

I remembered now. In the hospital. I heard him crying and looked over to see him cradling the left side of his face, blood dripping through his hands.

"what's your name?"-"Ha-Haku"- "it'll be alright Haku, let me help you…"

I pulled a blade out of my pocket and drug it across the left side of Yukio's face.

He just gave me a bloody smirk.

I shrieked in anger and rose my Kunai.

/

"is it just me or is it turning pink?" Shikamaru asked, pointing at the torrent.

"blood." Gaara confirmed.

"whose?"

"most likely his."

"Sir! No sign of them!"

"Keep looking!"

"they might not be-" Gaara cut the officer off with a glare.

"who are you looking for?" Shikamaru asked.

"the rest of Yukio's team. There should be two more."

"hmm…. Let me see that map…"

/

Blood seeped out of his mouth, it should have, seeing how he'd just been stabbed seven times. I'd probably punctured his lungs. And he was still mocking me!

"what!" I screamed. "what do you want from me!"

"I want to watch you break as I tear down your little world." he chuckled.

"my little worlds already been torn down. The walls are gone and its much bigger now, and hurts a whole hell of a lot more." I replied coldly.

"of course it does. Now just look at yourself, sweetie."

I glared at him.

"no….*keh* no, look at yourself!"

I looked down.

I was covered in it. His blood. It was soaked into my cloths and dripping off my skin.

I'd seen someone else like this.

Gaara.

I'd seen him dripping in blood with a smile on his face and he terrified me. He still did. He had been drenched in blood and enjoyed the feeling of it.

Just as I was now, I enjoyed making Yukio bleed and having his blood on my hands except he still didn't falter. He was still mocking me!

I screamed and grabbed my head, crouching down on the ground trying to hold myself together.

/

Gaara and Shikamaru swiveled around as an earsplitting scream came from inside the nearby torrent.

"that was her" they concluded at exactly the same time.

They stared into the torrent unable to do a thing.

/

He laughed in the background.

An awful, mocking, choking laugh.

He was still laughing at me, watching me break and stumble while he toyed with my mind.

"STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT!.!"

The air got heavy and closed in around me threatening to suffocate even me, whirling faster and faster and out of control until…. Nothing.

The world was quiet.

Quiet and still.

The mist settled down to the ground in silence.

The pink mist.


	25. Chapter 25

**25.**

I don't remember much of what happened after that for the next few days. I think they brought me to a hospital. I think a lot of people visited me. Some sad, some angry. Some brought flowers. Maybe. I'm not sure. I know some got into arguments around me. Maybe my name was mentioned. Maybe Yukio was too. I do think someone had tried to get me to drink some kind of liquid. Was it water? It may have been soup. Someone else had tried to force me to drink it. I think they got pulled away. Some just sat in the corner and watched. Others may have gotten frustrated and yelled at me.

Did that happen?

Did any of it?

How can I be sure?

Can I trust myself? that's another maybe.

Can I trust my own mind?

Maybe all of it was just a dream. A hazy, inconsistent dream.

How can I know? How would I be able to tell the difference?

I don't even know what's real anymore.

Or maybe I do. No, I don't think I can tell.

Someone new came in. no wait. Not new. It's the redhead again. Gaara! That's it. It is Gaara right? Or is the redhead named Jugo. No. Jugo is bigger right? And gone. Maybe it's Kakashi? No. Kakashi is the silver-haired pervert. I think.

I'm pretty sure this is Gaara.

No. this persons hair isn't red. It's pink.

Who is that?

/

"do you believe us now!" huffed a council member.

"there was nothing left of that young lad! Look at how dangerous that…that…creature is!"

"young lad! Young lad! That 'young lad' nearly massacred this village! Twice!"

"your not seeing the point, Kazekage, she turned him into mist! Absolutely nothing left but a fine, pink mist! Imagine what she could do to the village in one of her out of control fits!"

"I'm not seeing the point! I'm. not. Seeing. The. point. She saved this village from him! instead of going off about what she did, imagine what would have happened if she didn't do it!"

"I agree, she may have provided some small service to the village, but now that she has unlocked the full Kichi power it would be nothing for her to level the whole village! It is dangerous!"

"it! Now your calling her an it!" Gaara snarled, his voice dropping. "I'll tell you what's dangerous at the moment. Me. Now Leave!"

"we are not done on this matter, Gaara!"

"Kazekage!" he corrected, growling.

/

I screamed when she opened the blinds. My room had been kept nicely dim-lighted and warm for the past few days. Or was it weeks? How long had I been here?

Bright sunlight flooded through my window, piercing my eyes painfully. I grabbed a pillow and buried my face in it only to have the pink haired girl steal it from me.

I whimpered.

"you need to get better. To get better your going to have to try! Starting with simple things." as she spoke she walked around the room and tossed my pillow in a chair, grabbing a long blue robe in its place.

"you like blue don't you? Put this on, we're going for a walk."

It's not like I had a choice. She pulled me off my bed and nearly forced me into that robe. The robes themselves were soft and warm though. She made me put sandals on and then she tugged me out of my hospital room.

I didn't like the bright lights in the hospital anymore than I liked sunlight at the moment. I didn't have to worry about the lights for too long though because she made me go outside.

I think the sunlight intentionally hurt me. It could do that, couldn't it?

"come on! Fresh air is good for you!" she pulled me out into the street and I stumbled, tripped over her foot, then promptly fell on my face.

She helped me back to my feet and I glared murderously at her.

I blanched.

I checked my hands.

Pale, shaky. Clean.

I could still see them dripping with blood. And the scarlet droplets spinning in the air around me. The pink mist.

"come on!" Sakura called. Her name was Sakura right? I've met her before. I'm pretty sure I have.

I hurried after her.

She took me through a few shops, talked meaninglessly and tried to get me to try something on. I adamantly refused. She kept watching me. her eyes darting my way every few seconds. A flash of concern. A set line in her mouth. I hated it. She looked at me like she couldn't trust me to myself.

She was probably right.

A breeze drifted through the shop and I turned to face it.

She immediately reached out to grab my attention.

I shrugged her arm of and went back into the street.

"Kyo- Aani! Come back here!" she called, as one would to an errant child.

I turned and her face immediately fell.

I knew why.

I reached up and touched my cheeks.

I was crying.

Dammit.

I wiped off my tears and ran.

My feet could barely carry me but I ran anyway.

I don't know why but I knew there was one person who would accept me. No matter what.

I could be certain about that because I didn't know why I was sure of it. Which means its not from me and that means I can trust it. Right?

I didn't know why he accepted me.

And I definitely don't know why I ran to him.

Because he scares me.

But I ran to Gaara anyway.

I went up into the Kazekage building and into his office and pretty much threw myself forward and clung to the front of his robes.

Sobbing.

He froze.

Tensed up.

Relaxed.

And wrapped his arms around me.

He wrapped his arms around me and looked down at me with his loving, pained green eyes.


	26. Chapter 26end

**26.**

And I remembered.

Not everything.

Just pieces.

Hints and teasers.

Just enough of them to know.

He's looked at me like that before.

I know I've cried over him before.

Its his eyes that I always remember.

I've seen them sad, angry, pained, happy, mocking, fearful, murderous, confused, cold, and loving. I've seen his eyes so many times and they still amaze me.

I love his eyes.

And I love him too.

"I'm scared." I mumbled into his shirt.

"I'll protect you." he murmured softly.

"P-Promise?"

" I promise, now and forever, I'll keep you safe, I'll never lose you again, because I love you…Aani." he whispered tenderly.

/

He kept that promise to me till the day we died. He kept me safe, from anyone and everything, including myself.


End file.
